Blister agent

Blister agents blister the skin and produce chemical bums to any exposed part of the body. Eyes, mucous membranes, and lungs are especially sensitive. Unlike nerve agents, which can kill exposed people rapidly, blister agents are primarily intended to injure rather than kill. Injured people require attention by responders, and thus tie up more resources than dead people. Large-scale severe injuries or slow deaths are strategically more effective in defeating the enemy soldiers efficiency. 

Blister agents include arsenicals and mustards. Lewisite (L) is the most important arsenical. Mustards include sulfur mustard (HD) and nitrogen mustards (HN-1, HN-2, and HN-3) of these, HD and HN-3 are the most common. 

Blister agents are less toxic than nerve agents. There are no IDLH levels established for them due to potential carcinogenic properties of these compounds. LCtjo and ICt5o levels are also listed in Table 2.4. 

Mustards may penetrate exposed skin in 1 or 2 min, but symptoms may not be noticeable for 2 hr and up to 48 hr later. Unlike mustards, lewisite causes immediate 

Blister agents are cytotoxic alkylating compounds and have the ability to produce chemical burns on the skin they are chemicals that produce blisters. Blister agents are often also called vesicants, the etymology for which originates from Latin vesica = bladder, blister [6]. 

Some examples of blister agents are Lewisite, an organo-arsenic compound Sulfur Mustard, also known as Mustard Gas, a family of sulfur-based agents Nitrogen Mustard, a family of agents with similar characteristics to the Sulfur Mustards, but nitrogen based and Phosgene Oxime, a 

During the course of this work, he discovered Lewisite and was himself exposed to it and became ill for several days. Therefore, he decided to abandon the study in order to recover from the illness caused by the toxic substance created during his experiments, and also due to its potential use as a toxin. 

During World War I, the main American Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) unit, the American University Experiment Station (AUES), was conducting research and experiments in order to develop new chemical warfare agents. The information from Nieuwland s thesis became of interest to Winford 

Although the USA produced Lewisite during World War I, it was also discovered independently in Germany, in early 

---

Chapter 1 Blister Agents DISTILLED SULFUR MUSTARD - HD... 

L-l is a vesicant (blister agent) also, it acts as a systemic poison, causing pulmonary edema, diarrhea, restlessness, weakness, subnormal temperature, and low blood pressure. In order of severity and appearance of symptoms, it is a blister agent, a toxic lung irritant, absorbed in tissues, and a systemic poison. When inhaled in high concentrations, it may be fatal in as short a time as 10 min. L-1 is not detoxified by the body. Common routes of entry into the body include ocular, percutaneous, and inhalation. 

Chapter 1 Blister Agents MUSTARD - LEWISITE MIXTURE - HL... 

---