Syrian chemical weapons have been transferred onto a US cargo ship on Wednesday for neutralization at sea as part of an international effort to clear Syria of the chemical weapons it had accumulated.

The cargo containers carrying the weapons, which weigh hundreds of tons, had travelled across the Mediterranean via the Danish vessel Ark Futura. The ship coasted into the Gioia Tauro port in Italy at sunrise on Wednesday, the Associated Press detailed.

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US cargo ship MV Cape Ray, which carries equipment for neutralization of the chemicals, arrived a day ahead of schedule. Officials said a third of the 78 cargo containers had been loaded onto the waiting American ship by midday.

Gian Luca Galleti, the environment minister of Italy, declared that the mission was a proud moment for his country. He said on Twitter that Italy was helping beef up international security through this "transparent and environmentally secure operation."

Residents, however, do not agree that the operation was transparent. According to them, they had no knowledge about the whole proceeding, and they did not know what the chemicals were.

The said chemicals include mustard gas and the raw component of sarin nerve gas. Once completely loaded onto the Cape Ray, the ship will set out for the open sea and start neutralizing those substances.

The cargo hold of the US ship has two machines called Field Deployable Hydrolysis Systems composed of a network of tanks, tubes, and electronics. The system has a titanium reactor wherein the Syrian chemicals will be mixed with heated water and other substances to render them chemically inactive.

The process will produce waste that will be transported to dumps capable of handling hazardous chemicals.

According to US officials, the destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons will not produce any vapor that will leak into the atmosphere or the waters.

Tagschemical weapons, Neutralization of chemical weapons