Toxic Smoke Grenade

This defensive work included improvements to many First World War weapons, including gas shells, mortar bombs, the Livens Projector and toxic smoke generators and the development of apparatus for mustard gas spray from aircraft, bombs of many types, airburst mustard gas shell, gas grenades and weapons for attacking tanks . The various inventions were tested in north Wales, Scotland, and in installations scattered throughout the Empire, notably northern India, Australia and the Middle East. 

Because of the toxicity associated with the manufacture of white phosphorus and because of its field risks, a gradual shift to red phosphorus (95% phosphorus in a 5% butyl rubber base) was undertaken after World War II. The British smoke grenade (L8-Al-3), which used red phosphorus, produced adequate field concentrations of smoke and functioned as an effective tank screen. Oxidation of red phosphorus produces a variety of phosphorus acids that, on exposure to water vapor, produce polyphosphoric acids. These acids may produce mild toxic injuries to the upper airways that result in a cough and irritation. There are no reported deaths resulting from exposure to red phosphorus smokes. Therapy... 

At the end of May, Shadle expressed his satisfaction with the chemical offensive potential and ammunition status in the North African theater. His view seems to have been overly optimistic since smoke pots, tear gas, and HC smoke grenades were the only ammunition items available in sufficient supply. All the chemical supply officers reported urgent requests for unavailable white phosphorus grenades. The Twelfth Air Force reported limited quantities of ANM50A1 4-pound incendiary bombs, a few Mja yoo-pound incendiary bomb clusters, and a considerable number of My4 loo-pound incendiary bomb clusters. There was no other chemical ammunition in the theater although the New York port had promised that 120 days supply of high explosive and smoke shell was en route for the three chemical mortar battalions which had recently arrived in the theater. Aside from a small amount of artillery shell stored by Ordnance, no toxics were available in the theater and none was scheduled to arrive until the fall of 1943. The March theater plan for gas warfare, the first such plan, was based on meeting possible enemy gas attack with this plainly inadequate supply of artillery shell. The new War Department policy for retaliation in event of enemy initiation of gas warfare called for the use of aerial munitions as the principal gas weapons. Shadle s satisfaction with the toxic supply status can be explained by the fact that he did not con-... 

The Japanese also used mustard for filling shells and bombs, primarily as a 50 50 mixture with Lewisite to lower the freezing point. Examples of Japanese chemical munitions are Artillery shells, 150 mm and 105 mm and Mortar rounds 90 mm, filled with either mustard gas /Lewisite mixture or diphenylcyanoarsine, and Artillery shells 75 mm filled with either phosgene or diphenylcyanoarsine. In addition there were 15 kg and 60 kg aerial bombs, toxic smoke candles and canisters filled with diphenylcyanoarsine. [12] Japan is estimated to have produced a total of around 1.7 million CW bombs and shells, and 5.7 million chemical candles and grenades. One source quotes the total amount of chemical munitions produced by Japan, regardless of agent fill, as approximately 7.4 million.[20] As already stated in an earlier paragraph, Chinese sources estimate that approximately 2 million of these rounds were abandoned in Northern China.[7]... 

Chemical Ammunitions Ammunition in which the filler has the basic function of producing a toxic or irritant effect on the body, a screening effect(smoke) or an incendiary action(See also Chemical Energy Ammunition, Chemical Bombs, Chemical Grenades,Chemical Gun. "Howitzer and Recoilles Rifle Shells, Chemical Land Mines, Chemical Mortars Chemical Mortar Shells, and Chemical Rockets Refs l)Ohart(1946), 86,101,105,120,220,234, 268,290,355,357-8 362 2)Anon, "Ordnance Safety Manual , Dept of the Army ORDM 7 224, C3, Paragraph 209(1954) 3)Anon,... 

CN is a crystalline solid with a strong, pungent odor (see Figure 12.3). It is dispersed as a smoke, powder, or liquid formulation from grenades or other devices. It is perhaps better known under the trade name Chemical Mace and was once used widely for self-protection. It was also the standard tear gas used by the military (Figure 12.4) and police personnel. It has been replaced in favor of the less toxic CS for riot control and capsaicin pepper spray for self-defense. 

Acute Lethal Inhalation Toxicity of CS as Grenade-Generated Smoke and Pure Aerosol to Various Species... 

PCSI materials can be blown into the atmosphere in fine form from fogging machines. This mode of dissemination avoids the possibility of toxic effects from inhaled combustion products which are a feature of grenade-generated smoke. 

Table 1. Comparison of acute lethal inhalation toxicity to four species of pyrotechnically (grenade) generated CR smoke and that of smoke resulting from the combustion of the burning mix alone11...

Pyrotechnically generated smokes from grenades or powder clouds may not be acceptable from a safety point of view in certain circumstances for example, where fires may be produced, or in confined spaces with low rates of ventilation where asphyxial effects could develop. In order to reduce such potential hazards, a variety of approaches have been investigated. One of these is the use of highly volatile PCSI materials, which can be projected into enclosed spaces, but no material of sufficiently low toxicity has yet been found which is acceptable. An alternative approach is the use of a PCSI substance dissolved in a volatile solvent, and the mixture projected into the area by means of a pressurized aerosol canister or a frangible missile. This results in the development of an airborne vapor or aerosol of irritant (Ballantyne, 1979). 

The acute inhalation toxicity was studied for pure aerosols and grenade generated smoke for the latter a comparison was made of the pyrotechnic smoke devoid of CR. 

Porton Down made use of this logic between 1919 and 1939 to carry out a mass of offensive research, developing gas grenades and hand contamination bombs a toxic air smoke bomb charged with a new arsenic codenamed D M was tested anti-tank weapons were produced and Porton developed an aircraft spray tank capable of dispersing mustard gas from a height of 15,000 feet. At the same time the weapons of the First World War — the Livens Projector, the mortar, the chemical shell and even the cylinder - were all modified and improved. 

The riot control agent known as CR (dibenz(b,f)-1 4-oxazepine) is a relatively new compound, first synthesized in 1962 by Higginbottom and Suschitzkey. CR is more potent and less toxic than CS. Because of the low vapor pressure of CR solution, no respiratory tract effects are anticipated from its use. The LCt5g for animals exposed to grenade-generated smokes was found to be 167,500 mg min/m3. The estimated LCt50 for humans is probably higher than 100,000 mg min/m3.24... 

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