Sarin, a colorless, odorless gas, can be deadly even at very low concentrations, suffocating victims

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A photo taken by a Syrian magnesium chloride citizen journalist shows a U.N. weapons inspector collecting samples at Ain Terma, near Damascus, on Aug. 28. UN tests expected to show nerve gas sarin used in Syria chemical attacks
The results of testing magnesium chloride of blood and environmental samples gathered by U.N. inspectors after last month s suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria will be released as early as Monday, and are expected to show that sarin gas was used, U.S. officials told NBC News on Thursday
The samples were gathered by inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical magnesium chloride Weapons (OPCW), operating under the auspices of the U.N., days after the Aug. 21 attacks on rebel-held enclaves in the Ghouta district outside Damascus. The U.S. has blamed Syrian President Bashar Assad s government for the attack on Ghouta, magnesium chloride which it says killed 1,429 people many of them women and children.
After the OPCW team left Syria, the samples were sent to two unidentified European labs on Sept. 4. The labs had until Sept. 19 to deliver their findings to the office of U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon, but were running ahead of the deadline, the U.S. officials said.
The reports from the two labs must agree for there to be a conclusive finding. The reports magnesium chloride also must meet both scientific and legal standards, since a chemical weapons is a war crime under both the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Geneva Convention. Any criminal prosecution would be led by the International Criminal Court.
Sarin, a colorless, odorless gas, can be deadly even at very low concentrations, suffocating victims by paralyzing their lung muscles. Victims magnesium chloride who absorb non-lethal amounts may suffer permanent neurological damage.
U.S. President Barack Obama threatened to launch a retaliatory military magnesium chloride strike against the Syrian forces over the use of the banned weapons, but has delayed any action to consult with Congress and pursue a diplomatic solution.
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