Chemical weapon

A chemical weapon is a Arme using one (or several) produced (S) chemical (S), Toxique S for the to be human (and often for whole or part of the animals, even for the plants). The search and the use for chemical weapons take as a starting point those of biological weapons, of which the use is very ancien.
The weapon can be lethal (mortal) or simply neutralisante.
The intense use and the industrial production of these weapons developed in 1914-1918. The toxic load (Chlorine initially) was initially diffused in gas form carried by the wind towards the enemy, then transported by a vector (Munition), generally Obus or bends, but chemical grenade S were used at least since 1914-1918.

Types

The chemical agents are weapons of massive destruction. They can be classified in three categories:

  • irritants, like the Teargas S;

  • stun psychic or physical
  • the létaux agents which cause death, themselves classified in several groups:
    • the blistering agents;
    • suffocating agents;
    • asphyxiating agents;
    • the neurotoxic agents.

History

Although the fact is seldom evoked, the German Armée employed for the first time of the shells with gas as of the end of 1914 in Poland against the army of the Russian Empire, but the intense cold made them absolutely ineffective.

The first massive chemical attack employee successfully at the time of the First World War take place the April 22nd 1915, close to Ypres by the German army . The vapor of Chlore sent in the form of a drifting cloud on the allied lines was emitted starting from steel bottles opened on the spot. The attack made approximately 10.000 victims (deaths or men out of combat). But it proves that France had undertaken secret research before the Great War on the subject and had punctually employed Teargas not-lethal without success in named projectiles suffocating machines .

It followed about it a " course" with protections (anti-gas masks) and the increasingly toxic products with an accumulation of considerable stocks (which only little were used after 1919). The town of Ypres thus gave its name to the one of most famous poison gas, the Ypérite or Mustard gas, used for the first time on the face on July 11th, 1917.

In 1918, before the Armistice, a Obus on four left the production lines provided with a chemical load. Thanks to the anti-gas masks and a rather bad capacity of dispersion, only 5% of killed were victims of these weapons, but they made many casualties, and one realized several decades after Yperite was also carcinogenic, like probably the arsines and other poisons, which could in addition be an additional factor of risk for the Maladie of Alzheimer or Parkinson, or persons in charge of disorders of the fertility and the reproduction. The horror inspired by these weapons resulted in provisions aiming their prohibition in the international treaties, of which in particular article 171 of the Traité of Versailles which prohibits the use of pollutant gases, without paradoxically prohibiting of it manufacture and storage in mass, which was a reality until the end of the Cold war in many nations.

According to the historians Seiya Matsuno and Yoshiaki Yoshimi the emperor Showa authorized in spite of these treaties and during the Sino-Japanese war since 1937, the use of chemical weapons against the enemy troops and the civil populations. As example, pollutant gases were authorized with 375 recoveries at the time of the Bataille of Wuhan from August in October 1938 and this, in spite of the resolution of May 14th of the Société of the nations condemning the use of pollutant gases by the Japanese army. These weapons however were never authorized on the battle field against Western nations but only against the other judged populations of yellow race " inférieures" and of the prisoners of war.

Since 1937, Germany exploits the neurotoxic properties of a Insecticide organophosphoré, the Tabun; then in 1939, the Sarin; and in 1944, the Soman. After war, the Amiton S were developed, the last three products acting even through the skin. Yperite continued to be used in “peripheral” conflicts in spite of the denials of their users.

The infrastructures of production of Manure and Pesticide S respectively could provide great quantities of explosive (Nitrate S) and the neurotoxic ones and other chemicals for the war. The not-employment of the products stored, during the Second world war, happy, although is badly explained. It in any case left important stocks which wait until they are treated or who do not have until a recent past summer correctly eliminated (i.e. eliminated without ecological or medical impacts nor definitively for the poisons not dégradables).

Since, many countries made research on the possibilities of using chemicals within the military framework. They thus developed, studied and stored quantities, sometimes very large, of these toxic substances which are often very delicate to destroy.

The use of chemical weapons after the Second world war was relatively limited but the Guerre Iran-Iraq saw the massive use of these weapons by Iraq.

One saw the fear of a chemical Terrorisme being concretized with the attacks with the Sarin made with the Japan by the sect Aum Shinrikyo in 1994 and 1995. Since January 2007, one attends during the Guerre of Iraq with attacks the explosive combined with Chlore against the population.

Convention on the prohibition of the chemical weapons

When this type of weapons is intended to be used on an important perimeter to kill out of many people, it is indicated as Arme of massive destruction, as well as a Nuclear weapon.

Currently, this type of weapons is the subject of a Convention on the prohibition of the chemical weapons come into effect in 1997, by which the countries signatories prohibit their use and promote their destruction.

In 2006, only the following countries did not adhere to this convention: Angola, Barbados, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Montenegro, Syria, North Korea and Somalia

Principal toxic products usable like chemical weapons

There exist many toxic products being able to be employed as weapons. They are classified in various types, according to their mode of action. One distinguishes thus the Vésicant S, the Suffocant S, most dangerous being the Neurotoxique S. These products are generally presented in the form of gas or of aerosols released in bends S or pulverized by planes especially equipped.

Note::

  • If it were not used like Poison gas, the insecticide Zyklon B, containing hydrocyanic acid, can be regarded as chemical weapon in the direction where it was diverted of its function first for gazer in mass of the off-set populations.
  • the orange Agent, is a Défoliant which can also be regarded as a chemical weapon because of its long-term toxicity.

Effects of the chemical weapons

The figures of the table are expressed in Hectare S covered by ton of toxic product spread with uniform Densité on material objectives or personnel without protection.

For example, by one day hot and a covered time, 5 kg of Sarin per hectare, would put out of combat 50% of the personnel supposed without mask (attacks surprised).

Parades

To protect itself from the chemical agents, there exist only three types of parades:
  • the combination seals protection including/understanding a Gas mask adapted to the Risque S NBC (Nuclear, Biologique, Chimique), i.e. conceived to prevent the inhalation or the contact with the agents of one or other type (except the radioactive radiation). The protective gears should be carried on suspicion. However several types of poison gas have neither taste nor odor, or induce obvious symptoms only after one certain time (several hours for yperite).
  • Curativement: To introduce or inject a Antidote (if there is one) in the minutes which follow the exposure.
  • Décontaminer the body, objects and places with adapted products (what requires to know the agent in question)

Not-conventional chemical weapons

One evokes since the Années 1990 research on a chemical weapon able to dissolve the rubber S, naturalness and synthetic. More Tire S, joints or of Durit S, that quite simply implies the paralysis of an army. In 1914-1918, the Ypérite was already able to pass through the natural rubber (Latex).

Let us recall that it had been planned by the French services at the time of the Affaire of Rainbow Warrior to degrade the Gazole ship by pouring Bactérie S in the tanks, before retaining the option of the bomb.

In same logic, agents ready to degrade the Copper or the Silicium would have similar effects by destroying the communication systems.

One also evoked the pheromonic weapons ; a laboratory of the US Air Force had required a financing in 1994 for a weapon able to plunge the troops aimed in a true state of sexual fright , that Ci was refused by the Department of Defense.

Environmental problems

Some of these products are not degraded, or only degrade themselves very slowly and them starters of the old ammunition contain in addition toxic mercury (in the form of 2 grams of Fulminate of mercury) and an explosive often also toxic. Chemical stocks of toxic ammunition or of war are a permanent Danger exposing to a Risque crescent of escapes and contacts in the case of the old ammunition which are degraded ineluctably. Many a not-exploded ammunition was destroyed under bad conditions after war on ground, or at sea, or persists in the grounds, in particular in Belgium and France, in the red zone the most touched by the First World War. Stocks of not exploded ammunition or unused or were immersed, with several deposits of tens of thousands of tons, contributing to the durable after-effects of the world wars and the Cold war (polluted water, air and grounds, degraded ecosystems, permanent threat for the water resources drinkable and in products of the sea, health issues). An international convention urges its countries signatories to eliminate their stocks from chemical weapons before 2007. Little country took the means of arriving there, and the resolution of the problem of the many deposits immersed at sea is not included in convention. The Commission OSPAR and the Commission HELCOM also work there within the framework of two regional conventions, but without prone seems itself priority for their Member States, although the countries of the Baltic worry some seriously since the discovery by the fishermen about a big number of shell or containers fleeing in their nets (in Denmark in particular, where 400 fishermen at least would have been burned by Ypérite).

Random links:Symphony n° 3 of Jean Sibelius | Alexandre Albouy | Gervais Carpenter | Marcus Claudius Marcellus (nephew of Auguste) | Zell Miller