Mustard gas

Mustard gas (HD) is a chemical compound that was first used as a chemical weapon in World War I. In pure form, it is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid at room temperature and causes blistering of the skin. The name comes from impure mustard gas, which is usually yellow-brown in color and has an odor resembling mustard, garlic or horseradish. It is otherwise not related to mustard in any way.

History

It was first used in World War I by the German army against Canadian soldiers in 1917 and later also against the French – the name Yperite comes from its usage by the German army near the city of Ypres. It took the British over a year to develop their own mustard gas weapon, first using it in September 1918 during the breaking of the Hindenburg Line.

Related Topics:
Used in World War I - Canadian - French - Ypres - 1918 - Hindenburg Line

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Mustard gas was dispersed as an aerosol in a mixture with other chemicals, giving it a yellow-brown colour and a distinctive odour. Mustard gas was lethal in only about 1% of cases. Its effectiveness was as an incapacitating agent: a wounded soldier slows an advancing army much more than a dead one. The countermeasures against the gas were quite ineffective, since a soldier wearing a gas mask was not protected against absorbing it through the skin.

Related Topics:
Aerosol - Gas mask

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Furthermore, mustard gas was a persistent agent which would remain in the environment for days and continue to cause sickness. If mustard gas contaminated a soldier's clothing and equipment, then other soldiers he came into contact with would also be poisoned. Towards the end of the war it was even used in high concentrations as an area-denial weapon, which often forced soldiers to abandon heavily contaminated positions.

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Since then, mustard gas has also been reportedly used by:

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• United Kingdom against Bolsheviks in 1919;
• United Kingdom against Iraqi rebels in 1920;
• Spain against Morocco in 1923-1926;
• Soviet Union in a province of China in 1930;
• Italy against Ethiopia in 1935-1940;
• Japan against China in 1937-1945;
• Egypt against North Yemen in 1963-1967;
• Iraq against Iran in 1983-1988; and
• Iraq against Kurds in 1988.

Also, in 1943 a US stockpile was bombed in Bari, Italy, accidentally exposing thousands of civilians and 628 friendly troops.

Related Topics:
1943 - US - Bari - Italy

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Most of the mustard gas found in Germany after World War II was dumped into the Baltic Sea. It is possible to mistake a piece of polymerised mustard gas for amber, which can lead to severe health problems. Shells containing mustard gas and other toxic ammunition from World War I (as well as conventional explosives) can still occasionally be found in France; they used to be disposed of by explosion at sea, but current environmental regulations prohibit this and so the French government is building an automated factory to dispose of the backlog of shells.

Related Topics:
Germany - World War II - Baltic Sea - Polymerised - Amber - Shell - World War I - France

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The largest stockpile of mustard gas in the United States was stored at the Edgewood Arsenal, Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Mustard gas was stored in several one-ton (900 kg) containers on the base under heavy guard. A disposal plant built on site neutralized the last of this stockpile in February, 2005. This stockpile had priority due to its proximity to several populated areas and schools in the area. The closest schools were fitted with overpressurization units to protect the students and staff in the event of a catastrophic explosion and fire at the site. Unexploded shells containing mustard gas and other chemical agents are still present in several test ranges in proximity to Edgewood area schools, but the smaller amounts (4–14 pounds; 2–6 kg) present considerably less risk. They are being systematically detected and excavated for disposal. There are several other sites in the United States where smaller stockpiles are awaiting neutralization in compliance with international chemical weapons treaties.

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