Phosgene

Phosgene (also known as carbonyl chloride, COCl2) is a highly toxic gas or refrigerated liquid that was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. It has no color, but is detectable in air by its odor, which resembles moldy hay.

Related Topics:
Toxic - Chemical weapon - World War I - Hay

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It is a manufactured chemical, but small amounts occur naturally from the breakdown of chlorinated compounds.

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Phosgene can also result from the combustion of chlorine-containing organic compounds.

Related Topics:
Combustion - Chlorine - Organic - Compounds

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Phosgene is a particularly insidious poison, as phosgene exposure often has no initial symptoms. Symptoms usually appear within 24 hours, but can take up to 72 hours to manifest.

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The gas combines with water in the tissues of the respiratory tract to form carbon dioxide and hydrochloric acid. The acid then dissolves the membranes in the lungs.

Related Topics:
Carbon dioxide - Hydrochloric acid - Lungs

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Fluid fills the lungs, and death results from a combination of blood loss, shock, and respiratory failure. Unlike nerve agents, phosgene must be inhaled to cause harm and cannot be absorbed through the skin.

Related Topics:
Shock - Nerve agents

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