CBRN is an acronym used extensively by the UK security services and the UK emergency services. It replaced the out-dated NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) acronym in both the United States and the United Kingdom. CBRN refers to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear weapons. It can be said to be a synonym for WMD. A US extension of this acronym is CBRNE, the latter addition refers to electronic incidents such as an electro-magnetic detonation. Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial letter or letters of words, such as NATO and XHTML, and are pronounced in a way that is distinct from the full pronunciation of what the letters stand for. ... In the United Kingdom, the umbrella term security services refers to the UK government agencies collectively responsible for espionage, counterespionage, counterterrorism and other covert activities. ... Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy. ... Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of any organism (bacteria, virus or other disease-causing organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of war. ... The term dirty bomb is most often used to refer to a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), a radiological weapon which combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... Weapons of Mass Destruction is also the name of rapper Xzibits 2004 album. ...

In emergency services terminology, any incident involving unidentified substances is deemed to be a CBRN incident, requiring special procedures to protect emergency services personnel and the public. These procedures can involve the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as containment suits and decontamination tents.