Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

Medical Aspects of Chemical WarfareTABLE 10-2Chemical agents used in world war i (in chronological order)Agent Type First Use agent Type First UseEthyl bromoacetate i Aug 1914 Trichloromethyl chloroformate R May 1916o-Dianisidine chlorosulfonate I Oct 1914 hydrogen cyanide r Jul 1916Chloroacetone i nov 1914 hydrogen sulfide r Jul 1916Xylyl bromide i Jan 1915 chloropicrin r Aug 1916Xylylene bromide i Jan 1915 cyanogen bromide r Sept 1916Benzyl bromide i Mar 1915 cyanogen chloride r oct 1916Chlorine r Apr 1915 Phenylcarbylamine chloride — May 1917Bromine r May 1915 Diphenylchlorarsine i Jul 1917Methyl chlorosulfonate I Jun 1915 Bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide S Jul 1917Ethyl chlorosulfonate i Jun 1915 Phenyldichloroarsine i Sept 1917Chloromethyl chloroformate I Jun 1915 Bis(chloromethyl) ether r Jan 1918Dichloromethyl chloroformate I Jun 1915 Bis(bromomethyl) ether r Jan 1918Bromoacetone i Jun 1915 Thiophosgene i Mar 1918Bromomethylethylketone I Jul 1915 ethyldichloroarsine S Mar 1918Iodoacetone i Aug 1915 Methyldichloroarsine S Mar 1918Dimethyl sulfate i Aug 1915 Diphenylcyanoarsine i May 1918Perchloromethyl mercaptan R Sep 1915 N-ethylcarbazole i Jul 1918Ethyl iodoacetate i Sep 1915 α-Bromobenzylcyanide i Jul 1918Benzyl iodide i nov 1915 10-Chloro-5,10-dihydro-phenarsazine I Sep 1918Phosgene r Dec 1915 Phenyldibromoarsine i Sep 1918o-Nitrobenzyl chloride I 1915 ethyldibromoarsine S Sep 1918Benzyl chloride i 1915 cyanoformate esters — 1918Acrolein i Jan 1916I: primary irritant; R: lethal via respiratory route; S: mainly skin effects; —: no data.Data source: Beswick FW. Chemical agents used in riot control and warfare. Hum Toxicol. 1983;2:247-256.country. Industrial exposure of approximately 1,700parts per million (ppm) of ammonia has been shownto cause severe airway obstruction. 9Chlorine, a greenish to yellowish compound, isanother irritant gas. Chlorine was used as a chemicalwarfare agent during World War I because of itsheavier-than-air capacity to occupy low-lying areassuch as trenches. Chlorine is widely used in the paperand pulp mill production industries; over 10 milliontons of chlorine are manufactured in the United Statesand Europe each year. 10 Accidental exposure to chlorinecan occur in the household or anywhere bleach ismixed with acidic cleansers in an unventilated room.Other common sources of exposure are swimmingpools, where an imbalance in mixing or dilution canresult in increased release of chlorine gas. Since WorldWar I over 200 major incidents involving mild to toxicchlorine exposure have occurred worldwide. 11Intentional exposures are not limited to the battlefield.Irritating, poorly water-soluble smokes such asCS, CN (chloroacetophenone), and CR (dibenz[b,f]-1,4-oxazepine), commonly referred to as riot controlagents or tear gas, have been used for many years toquell social disturbances. CS was first introduced inBritain by Corson and Stoughton in 1958 to replaceCN for riot control because it was safer and more effective.12 These gases effect the sensory nerves of theskin and mucosa in the nose, eyes, and mouth, causinguncomfortable irritation at the sites of exposures. Theoverall effects of CS and CN inhalation are respiratoryand ventilatory depression. CS has also been linkedto reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS)resulting from a single intentional exposure. 13 Theseagents have no practical use in the chemical and manufacturingindustries. Olajos and Salem have provideda review of the tear gases. 14Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is one of the gases mosttoxic to humans. It may be encountered in industrialprocesses as sodium or potassium cyanate or as acrylonitrile.Exposures to the salts may occur during theextraction of gold, in electroplating, or in photographicprocesses. HCN can be manufactured as a byproductduring the synthesis of acrylonitrile, which is a morecommon industrial hazard used in the production ofsynthetic rubber and as a fumigant. Mixtures of sodiumcyanide, magnesium carbonate, and magnesium342