Johannesburg — EASILY available industrial compounds made SA vulnerable to a chemical and biological weapons attack during the Soccer World Cup.

Philip Coleman, the executive manager of Protechnik, a subsidiary of the state-owned arms manufacturer Armscor, said chemical substances from the Cold War were no longer a major threat. Many had been destroyed since the adoption of the chemical weapons convention almost 10 years ago.

"Where we see a greater threat is from toxic industrial chemicals," Coleman said yesterday. These substances, such as chlorine, were easier to get hold of and were already widely transported in SA .

This is something a terrorist would find far more attractive than dealing with chemical war agents in a clandestine laboratory, he said. Given better technology, the gap between chemical and biological weapons was narrowing.

However, the military, with help from Protechnik, a specialised chemicals company, was working at developing contingency plans that included acquiring detection equipment to be used to protect soccer stadiums and fan parks, said Coleman.