War is always scary and terrible. But some types of weapons are so cruel that they are prohibited by all conceivable international conventions in the field of warfare. The latter include mustard gas, better known as mustard gas.
Physicochemical Characteristics
This chemical warfare agent has the formula (Cl-CH 2 CH 2 ) 2S. Mustard belongs to the skin-abscesses, completely destroys the lungs when inhaled, even relatively small amounts of gas. It penetrates perfectly into the body through the skin, the rubber of standard gas masks is also permeable.
The substance is colorless, but in some cases a slight yellowish or greenish tint appears. It is believed that mustard gas got its name because of a specific smell, similar to the aroma of fresh seeds of this plant, but the few survivors often recall the smell of horseradish.
"Baptism of fire"
The first combat use was recorded in the First World War, when the German side fired rockets with mustard gas from Russian troops. It happened near the town of Ypres (Belgium) in 1917.
In the case of the first combat use, about 2.5 thousand people were poisoned, and 87 of them died. British chemists were able to quickly make mustard gas at home, but it was possible to establish its production only a year later, and only two months after that a cease-fire was signed.
Note that World War I went down in history as the period during which toxic substances were used in gigantic quantities. Even in World War II, much less was spent. Just think about it: in just a couple of years of using mustard gas, about 12 thousand tons of this poison were poured onto the heads of soldiers! Severe poisonings were received by approximately 400 thousand people.
Why is he so dangerous
The substance immediately acquired extremely notoriety, even among German troops. To begin with, mustard gas (before going into a gaseous state, of course) evaporates very slowly. The territory that has been infected with it, for several days, is mortally dangerous to all living things.
But much worse is the effect that it has on the human body.
Amazing effect
Since mustard gas has an abscess, the skin is the first to be hit. Enormous blisters quickly form on the skin, filled with a yellowish sac and pus. Affected people become blind, they have increased tearing, hypersalivation (increased salivation), as well as pain in the sinuses. When dispersion suspension enters the gastrointestinal tract, severe diarrhea, nausea and cramping pains develop in the stomach.
Mustard is very insidious also in the fact that even if an average dose is ingested, symptoms can appear only after 12 hours or even after a day. If the concentration and exposure time were higher, then manifestations are observed after a couple of hours.
Combat effectiveness example
In 1918, British Major General White escorted a group of wounded and mustard-affected soldiers in a medical train. Arriving at the next station, they had to pick up another batch of wounded soldiers. One of the officers saw that on the platform they had forgotten the personal belongings of the victims, among which was binoculars in a leather case. He took it in a hurry, after which he hung it in his compartment and went to bed.
As it turned out later, a couple of drops of the poisonous substance remained on the case. During the night they evaporated. Even such an insignificant dose was enough for the officer to receive serious eye damage. Fortunately, he was cured, but it took three (!) Months. Just think about it: a couple of drops a person is out of order for several months. What can we say about those cases when soldiers found themselves in the epicenter ...
Mortality
It is generally accepted that mustard gas (mustard gas) leads to death in far from 100% of cases. Often, victims recover, although it takes a lot of time. However, this can be called a “recovery” with a big stretch, since many have huge scars for the rest of their lives. A large part of the victims will soon face the problem of suddenly appearing chronic diseases.
If vapors of mustard gas even in negligible concentrations enter the body of a pregnant woman, then (with the exception of late terms), she is almost 100% likely to give birth to a child with genetic defects, deficiencies in mental and physical development.
The abscesses that form on the skin of a person as a result of the effect of mustard gas are treated very, very badly. Survivors often have to amputate the affected limbs, as huge festering ulcers begin to threaten the development of gangrene, poison the human body with decay products.
In the case of inhalation of mustard vapor, death almost always occurs (90%), because the lungs decompose almost instantly, and if someone survives, then for the rest of their lives they will remain disabled.
Factors affecting the effectiveness of mustard gas
Almost immediately after the start of the use of mustard gas, it was noticed that it works most effectively in hot and dry weather. The explanation is very simple: at high air temperatures, the rate of evaporation of the chemical warfare agent increases significantly, and sweaty skin becomes much more vulnerable to poison.
At a temperature of only 14 degrees Celsius, mustard gas quickly freezes. Unfortunately, special additives were soon developed, with the addition of which this chemical warfare agent becomes much more stable. Moreover, the resistance to freezing increases so much that it can be used even in countries with very cold climates.
In particular, shortly before the banning of mustard gas, a mixture was developed that allows it to be successfully used even in the Arctic. The mechanism of action is simple: the shells with the poisonous substance explode, after which the smallest droplets of poison settle on the clothes and weapons of the enemy. As soon as people enter a more or less warm room, it begins to evaporate intensively and quickly causes poisoning.
Given that mustard gas from World War I is still poisonous, contaminated areas in cold climates will generally remain dangerous for many decades.
Long-term effects
Alas, even the consequences of mustard gas poisoning do not end there. The fact is that this poisonous substance roughly damages human DNA. Soldiers exposed to a chemical attack near Iprom, not all died. Some of them returned home, and many of them were of reproductive age. The percentage of deformities and genetic diseases in their children and grandchildren was many times higher than usual.
Mustard gas is a powerful carcinogen and mutagen. Under Iprom, where it was first used, there is still an increased incidence of cancer.
Current state of affairs
As we have already said, the effect of the use of mustard gas shocked the
world community so much that already in those years voices began to be heard about its complete prohibition. This topic was raised in the League of Nations and in the UN, which became its successor. It was only after endless bureaucratic squabbles that the Second World War began, and then the adoption of appropriate decisions was repeatedly sabotaged.
And only in 1993, after almost 100 years from the date of the first combat use of mustard gas, it, like all other military poisonous substances, was completely banned. Currently, all over the world, the remains of chemical weapons are disposed of. In particular, not so long ago the last mustard gas left the territory of Syria. The poison will soon be completely recycled.