Chemical Warfare Agents

Abstract

SUMMARY Chemicals have been used as military weaponsfor more than 2,000 years. From the flame andsmoke of ancient Greece to the nerve agents andvesicants of the Iran-Iraq war, theses weapons havekilled or incapacitated hundreds of thousands ofcombatants and innocent civilians. US fightingforces have not been exposed to chemicals on thebattlefield since World War I, more than 80 yearsago, but the possibility of their use is alwayspresent. Many third world countries possess themand are not reluctant to use them. US military forcespreparing for Operation Desert Storm had greatconcern that these weapons might be used.Nerve agents cause death shortly after exposure,but casualties from this agent can be treated if anti-dotes and other assistance are begun in time. Mus-tard, the primary vesicant agent, causes effects thatbegin hours after exposure and causes death daysafter exposure. Cyanide produces death within min-utes but has characteristics that make it less thanideal as a warfare agent—there are good antidotesif they can be administered before irreversiblechanges occur in the casualty. The pulmonaryagents, such as phosgene, are less potent and lessdeadly than nerve agents and generally are ex-cluded from lists of modern-day agents. The in-capacitating agents do not produce lethality andmight be considered for specific uses. The riot-control agents are used for civil disturbances andare not usually considered for battlefield use. Thischapter summarizes the effects of these agents,the management of casualties from them, and thegeneral management of chemical casualties on thebattlefield.REFERENCES