Chapter 1 - Chemical warfare agents: an outlook on past and present technologies

Abstract

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are synthetic, lethal chemicals used in welfare. They date back to the First World War and their impact on the ecosystem still lingers. Although they have been around for a while, it is only in the last three decades that the studies on their toxicology, especially to humans, were intensified. They inherit gaseous, liquid, and solid states, and hence present different toxicology profiles. This account categorizes the CWAs into nerve, choking, blood, and vesicants/blistering agents. Each class is discussed under the following subtopics: molecular structure, toxicology, and routes of exposure. An evolution of the CWAs destruction techniques, detection methods, and safety and healthy protocols is also reviewed. Over the last decades, destruction techniques that preserve the ecosystem were developed; however, despite all the strides taken to compact the CWAs, the challenge remains. New/modern CWAs such as biological warfare agents are the potential threats to the world.