--- description: Novichok, the powerful nerve agent that killed one and left three critically ill, could remain active for 50 years, U.K. police said title: Novichok Could Remain Active for 50 Years: U.K. Police image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b1aae1473cd95f0/6989350de76ad28668632798/gettyimages-992658430.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [United Kingdom](/tag/united-kingdom/) ## United Kingdom Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Nerve Agent That Poisoned Four People in the U.K. Could Remain Active for 50 Years, Police Say by [Casey Quackenbush](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 11, 2018 3:45 AM CUT  The emergency services arrive at the John Baker House Sanctuary Supported Living after a major incident was declared when a man and woman were exposed to the Novichok nerve agent on July 6, 2018 in Salisbury, England. The emergency services arrive at the John Baker House Sanctuary Supported Living after a major incident was declared when a man and woman were exposed to the Novichok nerve agent on July 6, 2018 in Salisbury, England.Jack Taylor—Getty Images by [Casey Quackenbush](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 11, 2018 3:45 AM CUT British police said that[ novichok](http://time.com/5330729/amesbury-novichok-poisoning-spy-skripal/ "undefined"), the powerful nerve agent that killed one person and left another critically ill in southwestern England, could be active for up to [50 years](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/10/nerve-agent-poisoning-inquiry-spreads-to-swindon-car-seized-dawn-sturgess "undefined") if it remains in a container. Head of counter-terrorism of the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu, made the comments while holding a public meeting in the English town of Amesbury Tuesday, the _Guardian_ reports. Police have yet to establish how the couple, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess and 45-year-old Charlie Rowley, came into contact with the nerve agent. Police believe they touched a contaminated item that has not been found. Basu was asked if the military-grade poison could be in a landfill site. “If it is sealed in a container and it was in a landfill site it would effectively be safe because it would not be touched by anyone and it would last, probably, I’ve been told by scientists, 50 years,” he said. When asked if Basu was looking for a “needle in a haystack” and he [said](https://news.sky.com/story/police-novichok-used-in-salisbury-and-amesbury-could-be-active-for-50-years-11432617 "undefined"), “That’s why we need witnesses or intelligence,” Sky News reports. **Read More:** [_‘There Will Be Severe Pain.’ What to Know About the New Novichok Nerve Agent Poisoning in the U.K._](http://time.com/5330750/novichok-nerve-agent-salisbury-dawn-sturgess-charlie-rowley/ "undefined") Novichok first made headlines in March when it was used to poison [former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia,](http://time.com/5230645/russian-spy-sergei-skirpal-improving-rapidly/ "undefined") who both became critically ill. Skripal, 67, and his 33-year-old daughter survived the attack in the English town of Salisbury, which the British government blames on Russia. Moscow [strongly denies](http://time.com/5330761/novichok-england-russians-denial/ "undefined") any involvement. Last week, Sturgess and Rowley were found collapsed at a residential building in Amesbury, Wiltshire, just eight miles north of Salisbury, where the Skripals were poisoned. Tests confirmed that the couple [were exposed](http://time.com/5330538/u-k-victims-exposed-novichok-nerve-agent/ "undefined") to the same nerve agent that poisoned the Skripals. Sturgess [died in hospital](http://time.com/5332862/uk-police-woman-nerve-agent-dies/ "undefined") on July 8 while Rowly remains in critical condition. The British government is [working under the assumption](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/05/uk-points-russia-behind-second-wiltshire-novichok-poisoning "undefined") that the couple’s exposure is a consequence of the first attack. Basu said Tuesday police have found no forensic link between the two cases, and it was possible that a link would never be established, the _Guardian_ reports. However, he said that it was “implausible” for there to be no connection between two incidents. “This is a very rare substance banned by the international community and for there to be two separate, distinct incidents in one small English county is implausible to say the least,” Basu added. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5335292/novichok-nerve-agent-active-50-years/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5335292/novichok-nerve-agent-active-50-years/"},"headline":"Nerve Agent That Poisoned Four People in the U.K. Could Remain Active for 50 Years, Police Say","datePublished":"2018-07-11T03:45:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:48:36.193Z","description":"The powerful nerve agent could remain active for decades if in a container","url":"https://time.com/5335292/novichok-nerve-agent-active-50-years/","keywords":["United Kingdom","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b1aae1473cd95f0/6989350de76ad28668632798/gettyimages-992658430.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Casey Quackenbush","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/casey-quackenbush/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b1aae1473cd95f0/6989350de76ad28668632798/gettyimages-992658430.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Amesbury Couple Poisoned By Novichok Nerve Agent","caption":"Amesbury Couple Poisoned By Novichok Nerve Agent","creditText":"Jack Taylor—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/united-kingdom/","name":"United Kingdom"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5335292/novichok-nerve-agent-active-50-years/","name":"Nerve Agent That Poisoned Four People in the U.K. Could Remain Active for 50 Years, Police Say"}}]}] ```