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Revision as of 13:43, 15 February 2012 editBeetstra (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Administrators172,074 edits Saving copy of the {{chembox}} taken from revid 476810479 of page Sulfur_mustard for the Chem/Drugbox validation project (updated: '').  Latest revision as of 02:46, 7 January 2025 edit Toasted Meter (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users8,783 edits →Disposal 
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{{Short description|Chemical warfare agent}}
{{ambox | text = This page contains a copy of the infobox ({{tl|chembox}}) taken from revid of page ] with values updated to verified values.}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=3}}
{{chembox {{chembox
| Verifiedfields = changed | Verifiedfields = changed
| Watchedfields = changed | Watchedfields = changed
| verifiedrevid = 415234626 | verifiedrevid = 477002998
| Name = Sulfur mustard | Name = Mustard gas
| ImageFile = Sulfur-mustard-2D-skeletal.png | ImageFile = Sulfur-mustard-2D-skeletal.svg
| ImageFile1 = Sulfur-mustard-3D-balls.png | ImageFile1 = Sulfur-mustard-3D-balls.png
| ImageFile2 = Sulfur-mustard-3D-vdW.png | ImageFile2 = Sulfur-mustard-3D-vdW.png
| IUPACName = bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide | PIN = 1-Chloro-2-ethane
| OtherNames = Iprit<br />Schwefel-Lost<br />Lost<br />Mustard gas<br />Senfgas<br />Yellow Cross Liquid<br />Yperite<br />Distilled Mustard<br />Mustard T- mixture | OtherNames = Bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide<br />HD <br />Iprit<br />Schwefel-LOST<br />Lost<br />Sulfur mustard<br />Senfgas<br />Yellow cross liquid<br />Yperite<br />Distilled mustard<br />Mustard T- mixture<br />1,1'-thiobis<br />Dichlorodiethyl sulfide
| Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers | Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers
| Beilstein = 1733595
| PubChem = 10461
| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}} | ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}
| ChemSpiderID = 21106142 | ChemSpiderID = 21106142
| EC_number = 684-527-7
| InChI = 1/C4H8Cl2S/c5-1-3-7-4-2-6/h1-4H2 | InChI = 1/C4H8Cl2S/c5-1-3-7-4-2-6/h1-4H2
| InChIKey = QKSKPIVNLNLAAV-UHFFFAOYAK | InChIKey = QKSKPIVNLNLAAV-UHFFFAOYAK
| ChEMBL_Ref = {{ebicite|correct|EBI}} | ChEMBL_Ref = {{ebicite|correct|EBI}}
| ChEMBL = 455341 | ChEMBL = 455341
| Gmelin = 324535
| StdInChI_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}} | StdInChI_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}
| StdInChI = 1S/C4H8Cl2S/c5-1-3-7-4-2-6/h1-4H2 | StdInChI = 1S/C4H8Cl2S/c5-1-3-7-4-2-6/h1-4H2
Line 23: Line 30:
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}} | CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| CASNo = 505-60-2 | CASNo = 505-60-2
| UNII_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}
| CA Index name 1,1'-thiobis
| UNII = T8KEC9FH9P
| KEGG_Ref = {{keggcite|changed|kegg}}
| KEGG_Ref = {{keggcite|correct|kegg}}
| KEGG = C19164 | KEGG = C19164
| ChEBI_Ref = {{ebicite|changed|EBI}} | ChEBI_Ref = {{ebicite|correct|EBI}}
| ChEBI = 25434 | ChEBI = 25434
| SMILES = ClCCSCCCl | SMILES = ClCCSCCCl
}} }}
| Section2 = {{Chembox Properties | Section2 = {{Chembox Properties
| C=4|H=8|Cl=2|S=1 | C=4 | H=8 | Cl=2 | S=1
| Appearance = Colorless if pure.<br />Normally ranges from<br />pale yellow to dark brown.<br />Slight garlic or horseradish type odour<ref name="FM 3-8">'''FM 3–8 Chemical Reference handbook'''; US Army; 1967</ref> | Appearance = Colorless if pure. Normally ranges from pale yellow to dark brown. Slight garlic or horseradish type odor.<ref name="FM 3-8">FM 3–8 Chemical Reference handbook, US Army, 1967</ref>
| Density = 1.27 g/mL, liquid | Density = 1.27 g/mL, liquid
| Solubility = 7.6 mg/L at 20°C<ref name="opcw.org">. Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Accessed June 8, 2010.</ref>
| Solubility = Negligible
| SolubleOther = ], ]s, ]s, ]s, ]
| MeltingPt = 14.4 °C, 287.6 K, 57.9 °F
| MeltingPtC = 14.45
| BoilingPtC = 217 | BoilingPtC = 217
| BoilingPt_notes = begins to decompose at {{convert|217|C|F}} and boils at {{convert|218|C|F}}
| Boiling_notes = decomposes
}}
}}| Section7 = {{Chembox Hazards
| Section7 = {{Chembox Hazards
| ExternalMSDS =
| ExternalSDS =
| MainHazards = Very toxic ('''T+''')<br />Dangerous for the environment ('''N''')<br />]
| MainHazards = Flammable, toxic, vesicant, carcinogenic, mutagenic
| GHS_ref = <ref name=pubchem/>
| GHSPictograms = {{GHS06}}
| GHSSignalWord = Danger
| PPhrases = {{P-phrases|P260|P261|P262|P264|P270|P271|P280|P284|P301+P310|P302+P350|P302+P352|P304+P340|P305+P351+P338|P310|P312|P320|P321|P322|P330|P332+P313|P337+P313|P361|P362|P363|P403+P233|P405|P501}}
| HPhrases = {{H-phrases|H300|H310|H315|H319|H330|H335}}
| NFPA-H = 4 | NFPA-H = 4
| NFPA-F = 1 | NFPA-F = 1
| NFPA-R = 1 | NFPA-R = 1
| FlashPt = 105 °C | FlashPtC = 105
}} }}
| Section8 = {{Chembox Related | Section8 = {{Chembox Related
| OtherCpds = ] | OtherCompounds = ], ], ]
}} }}
}}
'''Mustard gas''' or '''sulfur mustard''' are names commonly used for the ] ] ], which has the chemical structure S(CH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>Cl)<sub>2</sub>, as well as other ]. In the wider sense, compounds with the substituents {{chem2|\sSCH2CH2X or \sN(CH2CH2X)2}} are known as ''sulfur mustards'' or '']'', respectively, where X = Cl or Br. Such compounds are potent ]s, making mustard gas acutely and severely toxic.<ref name="pubchem">{{cite web |title=Mustard gas |url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/10461 |publisher=PubChem, US National Library of Medicine |access-date=4 October 2024 |date=28 September 2024}}</ref> Mustard gas is a ].<ref name=pubchem/> There is no preventative agent against mustard gas, with protection depending entirely on skin and airways protection, and no ] exists for mustard poisoning.<ref name=who/>

Also known as mustard agents, this family of compounds comprises infamous ] and ]s with a long history of use as ].<ref name="who">{{cite web |title=Mustard gas fact sheet |url=https://www.emro.who.int/ceha/information-resources/mustard-gas-fact-sheet.html |publisher=World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Region, Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action |access-date=4 October 2024 |date=2024}}</ref> The name ''mustard gas'' is technically incorrect; the substances, when ], are often not gases but a fine mist of liquid droplets that can be readily absorbed through the skin and by inhalation.<ref name=pubchem/> The skin can be affected by contact with either the liquid or vapor. The rate of penetration into skin is proportional to dose, temperature and humidity.<ref name=pubchem/>

Sulfur mustards are viscous liquids at room temperature and have an odor resembling ]s, ], or ], hence the name.<ref name=pubchem/><ref name=who/> When pure, they are colorless, but when used in impure forms, such as in warfare, they are usually ]. Mustard gases form ]s on exposed skin and in the lungs, often resulting in prolonged illness ending in death.<ref name=who/>

==History as chemical weapons==
Sulfur mustard is a type of chemical warfare agent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is a Chemical Weapon? |url=https://www.opcw.org/our-work/what-chemical-weapon |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=OPCW |language=en}}</ref> As a chemical weapon, mustard gas was first used in ], and has been used in several armed conflicts since then, including the ], resulting in more than 100,000 casualties.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Salouti|first1=Ramin|last2=Ghazavi|first2=Roghayeh|last3=Rajabi|first3=Sattar|last4=Zare|first4=Mohammad|last5=Talebnejad|first5=Mohammadreza|last6=Abtahi|first6=Mohammad Bagher|last7=Parvizi|first7=Maryam|last8=Madani|first8=Sedigheh|last9=Asadi-Amoli|first9=Fahimeh|last10=Mirsharif|first10=Ensieh-Sadat|last11=Gharebaghi|first11=Reza|date=2020|title=Sulfur Mustard and Immunology; Trends of 20 Years Research in the Web of Science Core Collection: A Scientometric Review|journal=Iranian Journal of Public Health|volume=49|issue=7|pages=1202–1210|doi=10.18502/ijph.v49i7.3573|issn=2251-6085|pmc=7548481|pmid=33083286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Watson|first1=A. P.|last2=Griffin|first2=G. D.|date=1992|title=Toxicity of vesicant agents scheduled for destruction by the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program|journal=Environmental Health Perspectives|volume=98|pages=259–280|doi=10.1289/ehp.9298259|issn=0091-6765|pmc=1519623|pmid=1486858|bibcode=1992EnvHP..98..259W }}</ref> Sulfur-based and ] mustard agents are regulated under ] of the 1993 ], as substances with few uses other than in ].<ref name=who/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Susan L. |title=War! What is it good for? Mustard gas medicine |journal=CMAJ |date=27 February 2017 |volume=189 |issue=8 |pages=E321–E322 |doi=10.1503/cmaj.161032 |pmid=28246228 |pmc=5325736 }}</ref> Mustard agents can be deployed by means of ]s, ]s, ]s, or by spraying from aircraft.

==Adverse health effects==
] showing characteristic ] on the neck, armpit, and hands]]

Mustard gases have powerful ] effects on victims. They are also ]ic and ]ic ].<ref name=pubchem/> Their high ]ity accelerates their absorption into the body.<ref name="opcw.org" /> Because mustard agents often do not elicit immediate symptoms, contaminated areas may appear normal.<ref name=who/> Within 24 hours of exposure, victims experience intense ]ing and skin irritation. If this irritation goes untreated, blisters filled with ] can form wherever the agent contacted the skin.<ref name=who/> As ]s, these are severely debilitating.<ref name=pubchem/><ref name=who/>

If the victim's eyes were exposed, then they become sore, starting with ] (also known as pink eye), after which the eyelids swell, resulting in temporary blindness. Extreme ocular exposure to mustard gas vapors may result in ]ation, anterior chamber scarring, and ].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ghasemi|first1=Hassan|last2=Javadi|first2=Mohammad Ali|last3=Ardestani|first3=Sussan K.|last4=Mahmoudi|first4=Mahmoud|last5=Pourfarzam|first5=Shahryar|last6=Mahdavi|first6=Mohammad Reza Vaez|last7=Yarmohammadi|first7=Mohammad Ebrahim|last8=Baradaran-Rafii|first8=Alireza|last9=Jadidi|first9=Khosro|last10=Shariatpanahi|first10=Shamsa|last11=Rastin|first11=Maryam|date=2020|title=Alteration in inflammatory mediators in seriously eye-injured war veterans, long-term after sulfur mustard exposure|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31685435|journal=International Immunopharmacology|volume=80|pages=105897|doi=10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105897|issn=1878-1705|pmid=31685435|s2cid=207899509}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ghazanfari|first1=Tooba|last2=Ghasemi|first2=Hassan|last3=Yaraee|first3=Roya|last4=Mahmoudi|first4=Mahmoud|last5=Javadi|first5=Mohammad Ali|last6=Soroush|first6=Mohammad Reza|last7=Faghihzadeh|first7=Soghrat|last8=Majd|first8=Ali Mohammad Mohseni|last9=Shakeri|first9=Raheleh|last10=Babaei|first10=Mahmoud|last11=Heidary|first11=Fatemeh|date=2019|title=Tear and serum interleukin-8 and serum CX3CL1, CCL2 and CCL5 in sulfur mustard eye-exposed patients|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31669888|journal=International Immunopharmacology|volume=77|pages=105844|doi=10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105844|issn=1878-1705|pmid=31669888|s2cid=204967476}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Heidary|first1=Fatemeh|last2=Gharebaghi|first2=Reza|last3=Ghasemi|first3=Hassan|last4=Mahdavi|first4=Mohammad Reza Vaez|last5=Ghaffarpour|first5=Sara|last6=Naghizadeh|first6=Mohammad Mehdi|last7=Ghazanfari|first7=Tooba|date=2019|title=Angiogenesis modulatory factors in subjects with chronic ocular complications of Sulfur Mustard exposure: A case-control study|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31629219|journal=International Immunopharmacology|volume=76|pages=105843|doi=10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105843|issn=1878-1705|pmid=31629219|s2cid=204799405}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Heidary|first1=Fatemeh|last2=Ardestani|first2=Sussan K.|last3=Ghasemi|first3=Hassan|last4=Javadi|first4=Mohammad Ali|last5=Mahmoudi|first5=Mahmoud|last6=Yaraee|first6=Roya|last7=Shams|first7=Jalaledin|last8=Falahi|first8=Faramarz|last9=Sedighi Moghadam|first9=Mohamad Reza|last10=Shariatpanahi|first10=Shamsa|last11=Shakeri|first11=Raheleh|date=2019|title=Alteration in serum levels of ICAM-1 and P-, E- and L-selectins in seriously eye-injured long-term following sulfur-mustard exposure|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31480003|journal=International Immunopharmacology|volume=76|pages=105820|doi=10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105820|issn=1878-1705|pmid=31480003|s2cid=201831881}}</ref> In these severe and infrequent cases, ] has been used as a treatment.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Ocular injuries caused by mustard gas: diagnosis, treatment, and medical defense|journal= Military Medicine|volume=166|issue=1|pages=67–70|pmid=11197102|year=2001|last1=Safarinejad|first1=M. R.|last2=Moosavi|first2=S. A.|last3=Montazeri|first3=B|doi=10.1093/milmed/166.1.67|doi-access=free}}</ref> ], when the pupil constricts more than usual, may also occur, which may be the result of the cholinomimetic activity of mustard.<ref>. brooksidepress.org</ref> If inhaled in high concentrations, mustard agents cause bleeding and blistering within the ], damaging ]s and causing ].<ref name=who/> Depending on the level of contamination, mustard agent burns can vary between ] and ]s. They can also be as severe, disfiguring, and dangerous as ]s. Some 80% of sulfur mustard in contact with the skin evaporates, while 10% stays in the skin and 10% is absorbed and circulated in the blood.<ref name=pubchem/>

The carcinogenic and mutagenic effects of exposure to mustard gas increase the risk of developing ] later in life.<ref name=pubchem/> In a study of patients 25 years after wartime exposure to chemical weaponry, c-DNA microarray profiling indicated that 122 genes were significantly mutated in the lungs and airways of mustard gas victims. Those genes all correspond to functions commonly affected by mustard gas exposure, including ], inflammation, and stress responses.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.3109/10799893.2014.896379 |pmid=24823320 |url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262303374 |title=Microarray gene expression analysis of the human airway in patients exposed to sulfur mustard|journal= Journal of Receptors and Signal Transduction|volume=34|issue=4|pages=283–9|year=2014|last1=Najafi|first1=Ali|last2=Masoudi-Nejad|first2=Ali|last3=Imani Fooladi|first3=Abbas Ali|last4=Ghanei|first4=Mostafa|last5=Nourani|first5=Mohamad Reza|s2cid=41665583 }}</ref> The long-term ocular complications include burning, tearing, itching, ], ], pain, and foreign-body sensations.<ref name=who/><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ghasemi|first1=Hassan|last2=Javadi|first2=Mohammad Ali|last3=Ardestani|first3=Sussan K.|last4=Mahmoudi|first4=Mahmoud|last5=Pourfarzam|first5=Shahryar|last6=Mahdavi|first6=Mohammad Reza Vaez|last7=Yarmohammadi|first7=Mohammad Ebrahim|last8=Baradaran-Rafii|first8=Alireza|last9=Jadidi|first9=Khosro|last10=Shariatpanahi|first10=Shamsa|last11=Rastin|first11=Maryam|date=2020|title=Alteration in inflammatory mediators in seriously eye-injured war veterans, long-term after sulfur mustard exposure|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1567576919311853|journal=International Immunopharmacology|language=en|volume=80|pages=105897|doi=10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105897|pmid=31685435|s2cid=207899509}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Geraci|first=Matthew J.|date=2008|title=Mustard gas: imminent danger or eminent threat?|journal=The Annals of Pharmacotherapy|volume=42|issue=2|pages=237–246|doi=10.1345/aph.1K445|issn=1542-6270|pmid=18212254|s2cid=207263000}}</ref>
] on an arm caused by vesicant burns]]

===Medical management===
In a rinse-wipe-rinse sequence, skin is decontaminated of mustard gas by washing with liquid soap and water, or an absorbent powder.<ref name=who/> The eyes should be thoroughly rinsed using saline or clean water. A topical analgesic is used to relieve skin pain during decontamination.<ref name=who/>

The blistering effects of mustard gas can be neutralized by decontamination solutions such as "DS2" (2% ], 70% ], 28% ]).{{medcn|date=October 2024}} For skin lesions, topical treatments, such as ], steroids, and oral ]s are used to relieve itching.<ref name=who/> Larger blisters are irrigated repeatedly with saline or soapy water, then treated with an antibiotic and petroleum gauze.<ref name=who/>

Mustard agent burns do not heal quickly and (as with other types of burns) present a risk of ] caused by ]s such as '']'' and '']''. The mechanisms behind mustard gas's effect on endothelial cells are still being studied, but recent studies have shown that high levels of exposure can induce high rates of both ] and ]. In vitro tests have shown that at low concentrations of mustard gas, where apoptosis is the predominant result of exposure, pretreatment with 50 mM ] (NAC) was able to decrease the rate of apoptosis. NAC protects ] filaments from reorganization by mustard gas, demonstrating that actin filaments play a large role in the severe burns observed in victims.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1006/taap.1996.0324 |pmid=8975783 |title=Sulfur Mustard Induces Apoptosis and Necrosis in Endothelial Cells |journal= Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology|volume=141 |issue=2 |pages=568–83 |year=1996 |last1=Dabrowska |first1=Milena I. |last2=Becks |first2=Lauren L. |last3=Lelli |first3=Joseph L. Jr. |last4=Levee |first4=Minette G. |last5=Hinshaw |first5=Daniel B. |bibcode=1996ToxAP.141..568D }}</ref>

A British nurse treating soldiers with mustard agent burns during ] commented:<ref>{{cite book|author=Van Bergen, Leo |title=Before My Helpless Sight: Suffering, Dying and Military Medicine on the Western Front, 1914–1918|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qR-mzZkvaMoC&pg=PA184|year=2009|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-7546-5853-5|page=184}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|They cannot be bandaged or touched. We cover them with a tent of propped-up sheets. Gas burns must be agonizing because usually the other cases do not complain, even with the worst wounds, but gas cases are invariably beyond endurance and they cannot help crying out.}}

===Mechanism of cellular toxicity===
]
Sulfur mustards readily eliminate ] ions by intramolecular ] to form cyclic ] ions. These very reactive intermediates tend to permanently ] ]s in ] strands, which can prevent cellular division, leading to ].<ref name="opcw.org">. Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Accessed June 8, 2010.</ref> Alternatively, if cell death is not immediate, the damaged DNA can lead to the development of cancer.<ref name="opcw.org" /> ] would be another pathology involved in mustard gas toxicity.

In the wider sense, compounds with the structural element BC<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>X, where X is any ] and B is a ], are known as ''mustards''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} Such compounds can form cyclic ] (sulfonium, ], etc.) that are good ]s. Other such compounds are bis(2-haloethyl)ethers (]), the (2-haloethyl)amines (]s), and ], which has two α-chloroethyl thioether groups (ClC<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>S−) connected by an ethylene bridge (−C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>−).{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} These compounds have a similar ability to alkylate DNA, but their physical properties vary.

==Formulations==
] (top row) and mustard gas (bottom row) test with ]s from 0.01% to 0.06%]]
In its history, various types and mixtures of mustard gas have been employed. These include:

* '''H'''&nbsp;– Also known as '''HS''' ("Hun Stuff") or ''Levinstein mustard''. This is named after the inventor of the "quick but dirty" '''Levinstein Process''' for manufacture,<ref name="Stewart, Charles D. 2006 47">{{Cite book|author=Stewart, Charles D. |title=Weapons of mass casualties and terrorism response handbook |publisher=Jones and Bartlett |location=Boston |year=2006 |page=47 |isbn=0-7637-2425-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ZnXZfwWwgcC&q=levinstein+inventor+mustard&pg=PA46}}</ref><ref name="Federation of American Scientists">{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/programs/ssp/bio/chemweapons/production.html |title=Chemical Weapons Production and Storage |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811100809/http://fas.org/programs/ssp/bio/chemweapons/production.html |archive-date=August 11, 2014 }}</ref> reacting dry ] with ] under controlled conditions. Undistilled mustard gas contains 20–30% impurities, which means it does not store as well as HD. Also, as it decomposes, it increases in ], making the munition it is contained in likely to split, especially along a seam, releasing the agent to the atmosphere.<ref name="FM 3-8">FM 3–8 Chemical Reference handbook, US Army, 1967</ref>
* '''HD'''&nbsp;– Codenamed '''Pyro''' by the British, and '''Distilled Mustard''' by the US.<ref name="FM 3-8" /> ] mustard of 95% or higher purity. The term "mustard gas" usually refers to this variety of mustard.
* '''HT'''&nbsp;– Codenamed '''Runcol''' by the British, and '''Mustard T- mixture''' by the US.<ref name="FM 3-8" /> A mixture of 60% HD mustard and 40% ], a related vesicant with lower ], lower ] and similar vesicant characteristics.
* '''HL'''&nbsp;– A blend of distilled mustard (HD) and ] (L), originally intended for use in winter conditions due to its lower freezing point compared to the pure substances. The lewisite component of HL was used as a form of ].<ref>. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Accessed March 19, 2009.</ref>
* '''HQ'''&nbsp;– A blend of distilled mustard (HD) and sesquimustard (Q) (Gates and Moore 1946).
* ''']'''&nbsp;– any of several blends containing sulfur mustard and sometimes arsine agents, along with solvents and other additives.

==Commonly-stockpiled mustard agents (class)==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+
|- class="hintergrundfarbe5"
! Chemical
! Code
! Trivial name
! CAS number
! PubChem
! Structure
|-
| ]
| H, HD
| Mustard
| 505-60-2
| {{PubChem|10461}}
| ]
|-
| 1,2-Bis(2-chloroethylsulfanyl) ethane
| Q
| ]
| 3563-36-8
| {{PubChem|19092}}
| ]
|-
| 2-Chloroethyl ethyl sulfide
|
| ]
| 693-07-2
| {{PubChem|12733}}
| ]
|-
| Bis(2-(2-chloroethylsulfanyl)ethyl) ether
| T
| ]
| 63918-89-8
| {{PubChem|45452}}
| ]
|-
| 2-Chloroethyl chloromethyl sulfide
|
|
| 2625-76-5
|
| ]
|-
| Bis(2-chloroethylsulfanyl) methane
| HK
|
| 63869-13-6
|
| ]
|-
| 1,3-Bis(2-chloroethylsulfanyl) propane
|
|
| 63905-10-2
|
| ]
|-
| 1,4-Bis(2-chloroethylsulfanyl) butane
|
|
| 142868-93-7
|
| ]
|-
| 1,5-Bis(2-chloroethylsulfanyl) pentane
|
|
| 142868-94-8
|
| ]
|-
| Bis((2-chloroethylsulfanyl)methyl) ether
|
|
| 63918-90-1
|
| ]
|}

==History==

===Development===
Mustard gases were possibly developed as early as 1822 by ] (1798–1863).<ref name="mustardgas"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201220058/http://itech.dickinson.edu/chemistry/?p=408 |date=2014-02-01 }}. Itech.dickinson.edu (2008-04-25). Retrieved on 2011-05-29.</ref> Despretz described the reaction of ] and ] but never made mention of any irritating properties of the reaction product. In 1854, another French chemist, Alfred Riche (1829–1908), repeated this procedure, also without describing any adverse physiological properties. In 1860, the British scientist ] synthesized and characterized the mustard agent compound and noted its irritating properties, especially in tasting.<ref name="Guthrie">{{cite journal |author=F. Guthrie |title=XIII.—On some derivatives from the olefines |journal=Q. J. Chem. Soc. |volume=12 |pages=109–126 |year=1860 |doi=10.1039/QJ8601200109 |issue=1 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1885270 }}</ref> Also in 1860, chemist ], known as a pioneer in ] chemistry, repeated the reaction, and recorded blister-forming properties. In 1886, ] published a paper describing a synthesis that produced good yields. He combined ] with ] ], and then treated the resulting ] with ]. The purity of this compound was much higher and consequently the adverse health effects upon exposure were much more severe. These symptoms presented themselves in his assistant, and in order to rule out the possibility that his assistant was suffering from a mental illness (psychosomatic symptoms), Meyer had this compound tested on laboratory ]s, most of which died. In 1913, the English chemist ] (known for the ]) replaced the phosphorus trichloride with ] in Meyer's formulation while working with ] in ]. Clarke was hospitalized for two months for burns after one of his flasks broke. According to Meyer, Fischer's report on this accident to the ] sent the ] on the road to chemical weapons.<ref>{{Cite journal|author1=Duchovic, Ronald J. |author2=Vilensky, Joel A. |title=Mustard Gas: Its Pre-World War I History |journal=J. Chem. Educ. |volume=84 |page=944 |year=2007 |doi=10.1021/ed084p944|bibcode=2007JChEd..84..944D |issue=6}}</ref>

Mustard gas can have the effect of turning a patient's skin different colors, including shades of red, orange, pink, and in unusual cases, blue. The ] during ] relied on the Meyer-Clarke method because ] was readily available from the German dye industry of that time.

===Use===
]s containing "HD" (distilled mustard gas agent) at the ]. The distinctive ] scheme on each shell is visible]]

Mustard gas was first ] by the German army against British and Canadian soldiers near ], Belgium, on July 12, 1917,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fries |first1=Amos A. (Amos Alfred) |url=http://archive.org/details/chemicwar00frierich |title=Chemical warfare |last2=West |first2=Clarence J. (Clarence Jay) |date=1921 |publisher=New York McGraw-Hill Book Company, inc. |others=University of California Libraries |pages=176 |quote=(...) on the night of July 12, 1917 (...)}}</ref> and later also against the ]. '''''Yperite''''' is "a name used by the French, because the compound was first used at Ypres."<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fries |first1=Amos A. (Amos Alfred) |url=http://archive.org/details/chemicwar00frierich |title=Chemical warfare |last2=West |first2=Clarence J. (Clarence Jay) |date=1921 |publisher=New York McGraw-Hill Book Company, inc. |others=University of California Libraries |pages=150 |quote=(...) 'Ypres,' a name used by the French, because the compound was first used at Ypres (...)}}</ref> The Allies did not use mustard gas until November 1917 at ], France, after the armies had captured a stockpile of German mustard shells. It took the British more than a year to develop their own mustard agent weapon, with production of the chemicals centred on ] (the only option available to the British was the Despretz–Niemann–Guthrie process).<ref>{{cite book|title=The Port of Bristol, 1848-1884|editor=David Large}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bristolpast.co.uk/#/avonmouth/4546933962|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110703094556/http://www.bristolpast.co.uk/#/avonmouth/4546933962|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 3, 2011|title=Photographic Archive of Avonmouth Bristol BS11|publisher=BristolPast.co.uk|access-date=12 May 2014}}</ref> This was used first in September 1918 during the breaking of the ].

Mustard gas was originally assigned the name LOST, after the scientists Wilhelm Lommel and ], who developed a method of large-scale production for the ] in 1916.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Fischer
| first = Karin
| editor = Schattkowsky, Martina
| date=June 2004
| title = Steinkopf, Georg Wilhelm, in: Sächsische Biografie
| publisher = Institut für Sächsische Geschichte und Volkskunde
| edition = Online
| url = http://saebi.isgv.de/biografie/Wilhelm_Steinkopf_%281879-1949%29
| access-date = 2010-12-28
| language = de}}</ref>

Mustard gas was dispersed as an ] in a mixture with other chemicals, giving it a yellow-brown color. Mustard agent has also been dispersed in such munitions as ]s, ]s, ], ]s, and ]s.<ref name="FM 3-8" /> Exposure to mustard agent was lethal in about 1% of cases. Its effectiveness was as an ]. The early countermeasures against mustard agent were relatively ineffective, since a soldier wearing a ] was not protected against absorbing it through his skin and being blistered. A common countermeasure was using a urine-soaked mask or facecloth to prevent or reduce injury, a readily available remedy attested by soldiers in documentaries (e.g. ''They Shall Not Grow Old'' in 2018) and others (such as forward aid nurses) interviewed between 1947 and 1981 by the British Broadcasting Corporation for various World War One history programs; however, the effectiveness of this measure is unclear.

Mustard gas can remain in the ground for weeks, and it continues to cause ill effects. If mustard agent contaminates one's clothing and equipment while cold, then other people with whom they share an enclosed space could become poisoned as contaminated items warm up enough material to become an airborne toxic agent. An example of this was depicted in a British and Canadian documentary about life in the trenches, particularly once the "sousterrain" (subways and berthing areas underground) were completed in Belgium and France. Towards the end of World War I, mustard agent was used in high concentrations as an ] that forced troops to abandon heavily contaminated areas.

]

Since World War I, mustard gas has been used in several wars and other conflicts, usually against people who cannot retaliate in kind:<ref name="CBWInfo"> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070724063602/http://www.cbwinfo.com/Chemical/Blister/HD.shtml |date=July 24, 2007}}, CBWinfo.com</ref>

* United Kingdom against the ] in 1919<ref name="fas">{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/bwc/papers/review/cwtable.htm |title=Uses of CW since the First World War |last=Pearson |first=Graham S. |publisher=Federation of American Scientist |access-date=2010-06-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822165939/http://www.fas.org/bwc/papers/review/cwtable.htm |archive-date=August 22, 2010}}</ref>
* ]<ref>{{cite book|last=Townshend|first=Charles|authorlink=Charles Townshend (historian)|year=1986|chapter=Civilisation and "Frightfulness": Air Control in the Middle East Between the Wars|editor=Chris Wrigley|title=Warfare, diplomacy and politics: essays in honour of A.J.P. Taylor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkhnAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Hamilton|isbn=978-0-241-11789-7|page=148}}</ref>
* ] against the ] resistance in ] during the ] of 1921–27 (see also: '']'')<ref name="CBWInfo" /><ref name="GCSY">{{Cite book|chapter=Global society and biological and chemical weapons |first=Daniel | last = Feakes |editor-first1=Mary | editor-last1 = Kaldor |editor-first2=Helmut | editor-last2 = Anheier |editor-first3=Marlies | editor-last3 = Glasius |title=Global Civil Society Yearbook 2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2003 |pages=87–117 |chapter-url=http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/spru/hsp/documents/Feakes%20chapter.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711035041/http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/spru/hsp/Feakes%20chapter.pdf |url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-07-11 |isbn=0-19-926655-7}}</ref>
* ] in ] in 1930<ref name="CBWInfo" />
* The ] in ], ], during the ] against the ] in 1934, and also in the ] in 1936–37<ref name="fas" /><ref name="GCSY" />
* Italy against ] (now ]) in ]<ref name="CBWInfo" />
* The ] against ] in ]<ref name="fas" />
* The US military conducted experiments with chemical weapons like lewisite and mustard gas on Japanese American, Puerto Rican and African Americans in the US military in World War II to see how non-white races would react to being mustard gassed, with Rollin Edwards describing it as "It felt like you were on fire, guys started screaming and hollering and trying to break out. And then some of the guys fainted. And finally they opened the door and let us out, and the guys were just, they were in bad shape." and "It took all the skin off your hands. Your hands just rotted".<ref>{{cite news |last=Dickerson |first=Caitlin |date=22 June 2015 |title=Secret World War II Chemical Experiments Tested Troops By Race |work=NPR |url=http://www.npr.org/2015/06/22/415194765/u-s-troops-tested-by-race-in-secret-world-war-ii-chemical-experiments}}</ref>
* After World War II, stockpiled mustard gas was dumped by South African military personnel under the command of ] off ], resulting in several cases of burns among local trawler crews.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://samilitaryhistory.org/92/92junnew.html |title=NEWSLETTER - JUNE 1992 NEWSLETTER - Johannesburg - South African Military History Society - Title page |publisher=Samilitaryhistory.org |access-date=2013-08-23}}</ref>
* The United States Government tested effectiveness on US Naval recruits in a laboratory setting at The Great Lakes Naval Base, June 3, 1945<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-09-23|title=The Tox Lab: When U Chicago Was in the Chemical Weapons "Business" {{!}} Newcity|url=https://www.newcity.com/2013/09/23/the-tox-lab-when-u-chicago-was-in-the-chemical-weapons-business/|access-date=2021-07-02|language=en-US}}</ref>
* The 2 December 1943 ] destroyed an Allied stockpile of mustard gas on the ],<ref name="Coleman2005">{{cite book |author=K. Coleman |title=A History of Chemical Warfare|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RZp9DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA74|date=23 May 2005|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |isbn=978-0-230-50183-6 |pages=74–}}</ref> killing 83 and hospitalizing 628.<ref name="faguet">{{cite book|last=Faguet|first=Guy B.|title=The War on Cancer|publisher=Springer|year=2005|page=71|isbn=1-4020-3618-3}}</ref>
* Egypt against ] in 1963–1967<ref name="CBWInfo" />
* Iraq against ] in the town of ] during the ] in 1988<ref name="fas" /><ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSBLA84491620080709 |title=Iran's Chemical Ali survivors still bear scars |last=Lyon |first=Alistair |date=2008-07-09 |work=Reuters |access-date=2008-11-17}}</ref>
* Iraq against Iranians in ]<ref name="Benschopvan der Schans1997">{{cite journal |last1=Benschop |first1=Hendrik P. |last2=van der Schans |first2=Govert P. |last3=Noort |first3=Daan |last4=Fidder |first4=Alex |last5=Mars-Groenendijk |first5=Roos H. |last6=de Jong |first6=Leo P.A. |title=Verification of Exposure to Sulfur Mustard in Two Casualties of the Iran-Iraq Conflict |journal=Journal of Analytical Toxicology |date=1 July 1997 |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=249–251 |doi=10.1093/jat/21.4.249 |pmid=9248939 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* Possibly in Sudan against insurgents in the ], in 1995 and 1997.<ref name="CBWInfo" />
* In the ], abandoned stockpiles of mustard gas shells were destroyed in the open air,<ref>{{cite news|title=More Than 600 Reported Chemical Exposure in Iraq, Pentagon Acknowledges|work=The New York Times|date=6 Nov 2014|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/07/world/middleeast/-more-than-600-reported-chemical-weapons-exposure-in-iraq-pentagon-acknowledges.html}}</ref> and were used against Coalition forces in ]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/world/middleeast/army-apologizes-for-handling-of-chemical-weapon-exposure-cases.html?_r=0|title=Veterans Hurt by Chemical Weapons in Iraq Get Apology|work=The New York Times|date=25 Mar 2015}}</ref>
* By ] forces against ] forces in Iraq in August 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=Deutsch |first=Anthony |title=Samples confirm Islamic State used mustard gas in Iraq - diplomat |work=] |date=15 February 2016 |url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0VO1IC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222110031/http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0VO1IC |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 22, 2016 |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref>
* By ISIS against another rebel group in the town of ] in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-chemicalweapons-idUSKCN0SU2PZ20151106|title=Chemical weapons used by fighters in Syria—sources|first=Anthony|last=Deutsch|work=Reuters|date=2015-11-06|access-date=2017-06-30}}</ref>
* According to Syrian state media, by ISIS against the ] during the battle in ] in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35968604|title=Syria war: IS 'used mustard gas' on Assad troops |work=]|date=2016-04-05|access-date=2017-06-30}}</ref>

The use of toxic gases or other chemicals, including mustard gas, during warfare is known as ], and this kind of warfare was prohibited by the ], and also by the later ]. The latter agreement also prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, and sale of such weapons.

In September 2012, a US official stated that the rebel militant group ] was manufacturing and using mustard gas in Syria and Iraq, which was allegedly confirmed by the group's head of chemical weapons development, Sleiman Daoud al-Afari, who has since been captured.<ref name=bbc-20150911>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34211838 |title=US official: 'IS making and using chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria' |author=Paul Blake |publisher=BBC |date=11 September 2015 |access-date=16 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=independent-20150911>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-manufacturing-and-using-chemical-weapons-in-iraq-and-syria-us-official-claims-10496094.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-manufacturing-and-using-chemical-weapons-in-iraq-and-syria-us-official-claims-10496094.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Isis 'manufacturing and using chemical weapons' in Iraq and Syria, US official claims |author=Lizzie Dearden |newspaper=The Independent |date=11 September 2015 |access-date=16 September 2015}}</ref>

====Development of the first chemotherapy drug====
As early as 1919 it was known that mustard agent was a suppressor of ].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Krumbhaar EB |title=Rôle of the blood and the bone marrow in certain forms of gas poisoning: I. peripheral blood changes and their significance |journal=JAMA |doi=10.1001/jama.1919.26110010018009f|volume=72 |pages=39–41 |year=1919 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1423423 }}</ref> In addition, autopsies performed on 75 soldiers who had died of mustard agent during ] were done by researchers from the ] who reported decreased counts of ]s.<ref name="faguet" /> This led the American Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) to finance the biology and chemistry departments at ] to conduct research on the use of chemical warfare during World War II.<ref name="faguet" /><ref name="gilman">{{cite journal |author=Gilman A |title=The initial clinical trial of nitrogen mustard |journal=Am. J. Surg. |volume=105 |pages=574–8 |date=May 1963 |pmid=13947966 |doi=10.1016/0002-9610(63)90232-0 |issue=5}}</ref>

As a part of this effort, the group investigated ] as a therapy for ] and other types of ] and ], and this compound was tried out on its first human patient in December 1942. The results of this study were not published until 1946, when they were declassified.<ref name="gilman" /> In a parallel track, after the ] in December 1943, the doctors of the U.S. Army noted that white blood cell counts were reduced in their patients. Some years after World War II was over, the incident in Bari and the work of the Yale University group with nitrogen mustard converged, and this prompted a search for other similar ]s. Due to its use in previous studies, the nitrogen mustard called "HN2" became the first cancer ] drug, ] (also known as mechlorethamine, mustine) to be used. Chlormethine and other mustard gas molecules are still used to this day as an chemotherapy agent albeit they have largely been replaced with more safe chemotherapy drugs like ] and ].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Scott |first=Lesley J. |date=2017-06-01 |title=Chlormethine 160 mcg/g gel in mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: a profile of its use in the EU |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-017-0409-7 |journal=Drugs & Therapy Perspectives |language=en |volume=33 |issue=6 |pages=249–253 |doi=10.1007/s40267-017-0409-7 |s2cid=256367068 |issn=1179-1977}}</ref>

====Disposal====
{{Update|section|date=February 2022}}
In the United States, storage and incineration of mustard gas and other chemical weapons were carried out by the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041015020742/http://www.cma.army.mil/home.aspx |date=October 15, 2004}}. cma.army.mil. Retrieved on November 11, 2011.</ref> Disposal projects at the two remaining American chemical weapons sites were carried out near ], and ].

New detection techniques are being developed in order to detect the presence of mustard gas and its metabolites. The technology is portable and detects small quantities of the hazardous waste and its oxidized products, which are notorious for harming unsuspecting civilians. The ] assay would eliminate the need for expensive, time-consuming lab tests and enable easy-to-read tests to protect civilians from sulfur-mustard dumping sites.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://docksci.com/competitive-immunochromatographic-assay-for-the-detection-of-thiodiglycol-sulfox_5a9bdc6fd64ab2d6e91e8ff2.html |title=Competitive immunochromatographic assay for the detection of thiodiglycol sulfoxide, a degradation product of sulfur mustard |journal=The Analyst|volume=139|issue=20|pages=5118–26|date=24 July 2014|doi=10.1039/C4AN00720D |pmid=25121638|last1=Sathe|first1=Manisha|last2=Srivastava|first2=Shruti|last3=Merwyn|first3=S.|last4=Agarwal|first4=G. S.|last5=Kaushik|first5=M. P.|bibcode=2014Ana...139.5118S }}</ref>

In 1946, 10,000 drums of mustard gas (2,800 tonnes) stored at the production facility of Stormont Chemicals in ], Canada, were loaded onto 187 boxcars for the {{convert|900|mi|km|}} journey to be buried at sea on board a {{Convert|400|foot|m|abbr=|adj=}} long barge {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=}} south of ], southeast of ], at a depth of {{convert|600|fathom|m|}}. The dump location is 42 degrees, 50 minutes north by 60 degrees, 12 minutes west.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hill 70 & Cornwall's Deadly Mustard Gas Plant|url=https://cornwallcommunitymuseum.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/hill-70-cornwalls-deadly-mustard-gas-plant/|website=Cornwall Community Museum|date=18 September 2016|publisher=Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Historical Society|access-date=23 December 2016}}</ref>

A large British stockpile of old mustard agent that had been made and stored since World War I at ] near ] in ], Wales, was destroyed in 1958.<ref>{{cite web|title=Valley Factory, Rhydymwyn|date=24 July 2010|url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/r/rhydymwyn/defra_1.html}}</ref>

Most of the mustard gas found in Germany after ] was dumped into the ]. Between 1966 and 2002, fishermen have found about 700 chemical weapons in the region of ], most of which contain mustard gas. One of the more frequently dumped weapons was "Sprühbüchse 37" (SprüBü37, Spray Can 37, 1937 being the year of its fielding with the German Army). These weapons contain mustard gas mixed with a ], which gives it a tar-like viscosity. When the content of the SprüBü37 comes in contact with water, only the mustard gas in the outer layers of the lumps of viscous mustard ], leaving behind amber-colored residues that still contain most of the active mustard gas. On mechanically breaking these lumps (e.g., with the drag board of a fishing net or by the human hand) the enclosed mustard gas is still as active as it had been at the time the weapon was dumped. These lumps, when washed ashore, can be mistaken for amber, which can lead to severe health problems. ] containing mustard gas and other toxic ammunition from World War I (as well as conventional explosives) can still be found in France and Belgium. These were formerly disposed of by explosion undersea, but since the current environmental regulations prohibit this, the ] is building an automated factory to dispose of the accumulation of chemical shells.

In 1972, the ] banned the practice of disposing of chemical weapons into the ocean by the United States. 29,000 tons of nerve and mustard agents had already been dumped into the ocean off the United States by the ]. According to a report created in 1998 by William Brankowitz, a deputy project manager in the ], the army created at least 26 chemical weapons dumping sites in the ocean offshore from at least 11 states on both the ] and the ] (in ], ], etc.). In addition, due to poor recordkeeping, about one-half of the sites have only their rough locations known.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bull|first=John|title=The Deadliness Below|url=http://articles.dailypress.com/2005-10-30/news/0510300001_1_chemical-weapons-army-chemical-materials-agency-mustard-gas|publisher=Daily Press Virginia|date=30 October 2005|access-date=2013-01-28|archive-date=2012-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723021132/http://articles.dailypress.com/2005-10-30/news/0510300001_1_chemical-weapons-army-chemical-materials-agency-mustard-gas|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In June 1997, India declared its stock of chemical weapons of {{convert|1044|tonne|ST}} of mustard gas.<ref name="dominicantoday.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/world/2007/12/30/26543/India-to-destroy-chemical-weapons-stockpile-by-2009 |title=India to destroy chemical weapons stockpile by 2009 |publisher=Dominican Today |access-date=30 April 2013 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907155755/http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/world/2007/12/30/26543/India-to-destroy-chemical-weapons-stockpile-by-2009 |archive-date=7 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Amy Smithson |author2=Frank Gaffney Jr. |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-3987660.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106050759/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-3987660.html |url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2012 |title=India declares its stock of chemical weapons |access-date=30 April 2013}}</ref> By the end of 2006, India had destroyed more than 75 percent of its chemical weapons/material stockpile and was granted extension for destroying the remaining stocks by April 2009 and was expected to achieve 100 percent destruction within that time frame.<ref name="dominicantoday.com"/> India informed the United Nations in May 2009 that it had destroyed its stockpile of chemical weapons in compliance with the international Chemical Weapons Convention. With this India has become the third country after South Korea and Albania to do so.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news531700.html |title=Zee News – India destroys its chemical weapons stockpile |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |date=14 May 2009 |access-date=30 April 2013}}</ref><ref name="in.news.yahoo.com">{{cite web|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090514/812/tnl-india-destroys-its-chemical-weapons.html |title=India destroys its chemical weapons stockpile - Yahoo! India News |access-date=20 May 2009 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521195550/http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090514/812/tnl-india-destroys-its-chemical-weapons.html |archive-date=21 May 2009}}</ref> This was cross-checked by inspectors of the United Nations.

Producing or stockpiling mustard gas is prohibited by the ]. When the convention entered force in 1997, the parties declared worldwide stockpiles of 17,440 tonnes of mustard gas. As of December 2015, 86% of these stockpiles had been destroyed.<ref>{{cite report |author=Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |date=30 November 2016 |title=Report of the OPCW on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction in 2015 |chapter-url=https://www.opcw.org/documents-reports/annual-reports/ |chapter=Annex 3 |page=42 |access-date=8 March 2017}}</ref>

A significant portion of the United States' mustard agent ] was stored at the Edgewood Area of ] in ]. Approximately 1,621 tons of mustard agents were stored in one-ton containers on the base under heavy guard. A chemical neutralization plant was built on the proving ground and neutralized the last of this stockpile in February 2005. This stockpile had priority because of the potential for quick reduction of risk to the community. The nearest schools were fitted with overpressurization machinery to protect the students and faculty in the event of a catastrophic explosion and fire at the site. These projects, as well as planning, equipment, and training assistance, were provided to the surrounding community as a part of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP), a joint program of the Army and the ] (FEMA).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/csepp1.shtm |title=CSEPP Background Information |publisher=US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) |date=2 May 2006 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060527013022/http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/csepp1.shtm |archive-date=27 May 2006}}</ref> Unexploded shells containing mustard gases and other chemical agents are still present in several test ranges in proximity to schools in the Edgewood area, but the smaller amounts of poison gas ({{convert|4|to|14|lb|kg|}}) present considerably lower risks. These remnants are being detected and excavated systematically for disposal. The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency oversaw disposal of several other chemical weapons stockpiles located across the United States in compliance with international chemical weapons treaties. These include the complete incineration of the chemical weapons stockpiled in ], ], ], and ]. Earlier, this agency had also completed destruction of the chemical weapons stockpile located on ] located south of ] in the ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cma.army.mil/fndocumentviewer.aspx?docid=003676918 |title=Milestones in U.S. Chemical Weapons Storage and Destruction, fact sheet, US Chemical Materials Agency |access-date=15 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915081558/http://www.cma.army.mil/fndocumentviewer.aspx?docid=003676918 |archive-date=15 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The largest mustard agent stockpile, at approximately 6,200 ]s, was stored at the ] in northern ]. The incineration of this stockpile began in 2006. In May 2011, the last of the mustard agents in the stockpile were incinerated at the Deseret Chemical Depot, and the last artillery shells containing mustard gas were incinerated in January 2012.

In 2008, many empty ]s that contained mustard gas were found in an excavation at the ] just west of Sydney, Australia.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Ashworth L |title=Base's phantom war reveals its secrets |publisher=Fairfax Digital |date=7 August 2008 |url=http://lithgow.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/bases-phantom-war-reveals-its-secrets/1237570.aspx |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205033022/http://lithgow.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/bases-phantom-war-reveals-its-secrets/1237570.aspx |archive-date=5 December 2008}}</ref><ref name="MGOrg">. Mustardgas.org. Retrieved on 29 May 2011.</ref> In 2009, a mining survey near ], uncovered 144 105-millimeter ] shells, some containing "Mustard H", that had been buried by the U.S. Army during World War II.<ref name="MGOrg" /><ref>{{Cite news|author=Cumming, Stuart|title=Weapons await UN inspection|publisher=Toowoomba Chronicle|date=11 November 2009 |url=http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2009/11/11/weapons-await-un-inspection/}}</ref>

In 2014, a collection of 200 bombs was found near the ] villages of ] and ]. The majority of the bombs were filled with mustard agents. The bombs were left over from the German army and were meant to be used in the ] in World War I. It was the largest collection of chemical weapons ever found in Belgium.<ref>{{cite web|title=Farmer discovers 200 bombs (Dutch)|date=5 March 2014 |url=http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=DMF20140304_01009955}}</ref>

A large amount of chemical weapons, including mustard gas, was found in a neighborhood of ] The cleanup was completed in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cleanup Complete At WWI Chemical Weapons Dump In D.C.'s Spring Valley|url=https://dcist.com/story/21/11/26/cleanup-complete-chemical-weapons-dump-dc-spring-valley/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=DCist|language=en|archive-date=2022-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207135510/https://dcist.com/story/21/11/26/cleanup-complete-chemical-weapons-dump-dc-spring-valley/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Post-war accidental exposure====
In 2002, an archaeologist at the Presidio Trust archaeology lab in San Francisco was exposed to mustard gas, which had been dug up at the ], a former military base.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sullivan, Kathleen|title=Vial found in Presidio may be mustard gas / Army experts expected to identify substance|publisher=sfgate.com|date=2002-10-22|url=http://www.sfgate.com/green/article/Vial-found-in-Presidio-may-be-mustard-gas-Army-2760483.php}}</ref>

In 2010, a clamming boat pulled up some old ] shells of World War I from the ] south of ]. Multiple fishermen suffered from blistering and respiratory irritation severe enough to require hospitalization.<ref>{{Cite news|author1=Wickett, Shana |author2=Beth Daley |title=Fishing crewman exposed to mustard gas from shell |work=The Boston Globe |date=2010-06-08 |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/06/signs_of_bliste.html |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609132933/http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/06/signs_of_bliste.html |archive-date=June 9, 2010}}</ref>

===WWII-era tests on men===
]
From 1943 to 1944, mustard agent experiments were performed on Australian service volunteers in tropical ], by ], ] and American experimenters, resulting in some severe injuries. One test site, the ], was chosen to simulate Pacific islands held by the ].<ref>{{Cite book
|first=Bridget|last=Goodwin|year=1998|title=Keen as mustard: Britain's horrific chemical warfare experiments in Australia|location=St. Lucia|publisher=University of Queensland Press |isbn=978-0-7022-2941-1}}</ref><ref>. Home.st.net.au. Retrieved on 2011-05-29.</ref> These experiments were the subject of the documentary film '']''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Keen as mustard {{!}} Bridget Goodwin {{!}} 1989 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/80685--keen-as-mustard/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref>

The United States tested sulfur mustards and other chemical agents including ]s and ] on up to 60,000 servicemen during and after WWII. The experiments were classified secret and as with ]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-12-20|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Agent Orange#US Public Health Service, CDC and VA|reason= The anchor (US Public Health Service, CDC and VA) ].}}, claims for medical care and compensation were routinely denied, even after the WWII-era tests were declassified in 1993. The ] stated that it would contact 4,000 surviving test subjects but failed to do so, eventually only contacting 600. Skin cancer, severe eczema, leukemia, and chronic breathing problems plagued the test subjects, some of whom were as young as 19 at the time of the tests, until their deaths, but even those who had previously filed claims with the VA went without compensation.<ref name="NPR-1">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/06/23/416408655/the-vas-broken-promise-to-thousands-of-vets-exposed-to-mustard-gas |title=The VA's Broken Promise To Thousands Of Vets Exposed To Mustard Gas |last=Dickerson |first=Caitlin |date=2015-06-23 |website=] |access-date=2019-05-03 |quote=... the Department of Veterans Affairs made two promises: to locate about 4,000 men who were used in the most extreme tests, and to compensate those who had permanent injuries.}}</ref>
] and ] agents]]
] were tested alongside white men in separate trials to determine whether their skin color would afford them a degree of immunity to the agents, and ] servicemen, some of whom had joined after their release from ] were tested to determine susceptibility of ] to these agents. These tests also included ] subjects.<ref name="NPR-2">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/06/22/415194765/u-s-troops-tested-by-race-in-secret-world-war-ii-chemical-experiments |title=Secret World War II Chemical Experiments Tested Troops By Race |last=Dickerson |first=Caitlin |date=2015-06-22 |website=]|access-date=2019-05-03 |quote="And it wasn't just African-Americans. Japanese-Americans were used so scientists could explore how mustard gas and other chemicals might affect Japanese troops. Puerto Rican soldiers were also singled out."}}</ref>

===Detection in biological fluids===
Concentrations of thiodiglycol in urine have been used to confirm a diagnosis of chemical poisoning in hospitalized victims. The presence in urine of 1,1'-sulfonylbismethylthioethane (SBMTE), a conjugation product with glutathione, is considered a more specific marker, since this metabolite is not found in specimens from unexposed persons. In one case, intact mustard gas was detected in postmortem fluids and tissues of a man who died one week post-exposure.<ref>R. Baselt, ''Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man'', 10th edition, Biomedical Publications, Seal Beach, CA, 2014, pp. 1892–1894.</ref>

==See also==
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==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category}}

==Further reading==
* Cook, Tim. "‘Against God-Inspired Conscience’: The Perception of Gas Warfare as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, 1915–1939." ''War & Society'' 18.1 (2000): 47-69.
* Dorsey, M. Girard. ''Holding Their Breath: How the Allies Confronted the Threat of Chemical Warfare in World War II'' (Cornell UP, 2023) .

* Duchovic, Ronald J., and Joel A. Vilensky. "Mustard gas: its pre-World War I history." ''Journal of chemical education'' 84.6 (2007): 944.

* Feister, Alan J. ''Medical defense against mustard gas: toxic mechanisms and pharmacological implications'' (1991).
* Fitzgerald, Gerard J. "Chemical warfare and medical response during World War I." ''American journal of public health'' 98.4 (2008): 611-625.
* * {{Cite book |last=Freemantle |first=M. |title = Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! How Chemistry Changed the First World War |publisher=The History Press |year=2012 |isbn = 978-0-7524-6601-9}}

* Geraci, Matthew J. "Mustard gas: imminent danger or eminent threat?." ''Annals of Pharmacotherapy'' 42.2 (2008): 237-246.

* Ghabili, Kamyar, et al. "Mustard gas toxicity: the acute and chronic pathological effects." ''Journal of applied toxicology'' 30.7 (2010): 627-643.
* Jones, Edgar. "Terror weapons: The British experience of gas and its treatment in the First World War." ''War in History'' 21.3 (2014): 355-375.
* {{cite book |series=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence |title=Medical Services: Diseases of the War: Including the Medical Aspects of Aviation and Gas Warfare and Gas Poisoning in Tanks and Mines |volume=II |last1=MacPherson |first1=W. G. |last2=Herringham |first2=W. P. |last3=Elliott |first3=T. R. |last4=Balfour |first4=A. |year=1923 |publisher=HMSO |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/medicalservicesd02macp |access-date=19 October 2014 |oclc=769752656}}

* Padley, Anthony Paul. "Gas: the greatest terror of the Great War." ''Anaesthesia and intensive care'' 44.1_suppl (2016): 24-30.
* Rall, David P., and Constance M. Pechura, eds. ''Veterans at risk: The health effects of mustard gas and lewisite'' (1993).

* {{Cite book
|title=Chemical Soldiers
|first=Donald |last=Richter
|year=1994
|publisher=Leo Cooper
|isbn=0850523885
}} }}

* Schummer, Joachim. "Ethics of chemical weapons research: Poison gas in World War One." ''Ethics of Chemistry: From Poison Gas to Climate Engineering'' (2021) pp. 55-83.
* Smith, Susan I. ''Toxic Exposures: Mustard Gas and the Health Consequences of World War II in the United States'' (Rutgers University Press, 2017)
* Wattana, Monica, and Tareg Bey. "Mustard gas or sulfur mustard: an old chemical agent as a new terrorist threat." ''Prehospital and disaster medicine'' 24.1 (2009): 19-29.

==External links==


*. Inchem.org (1998-02-09). Retrieved on 2011-05-29.
*{{cite book|author1=Institute of Medicine|title=Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite|year=1993|isbn=978-0-309-04832-3|chapter=History and Analysis of Mustard Agent and Lewisite Research Programs in the United States|publisher=National Academies Press |chapter-url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236059/}}
* Includes many references to scientific literature
*
*{{Cite journal|author=Iyriboz Y |title=A Recent Exposure to Mustard Gas in the United States: Clinical Findings of a Cohort (n = 247) 6 Years After Exposure |journal=MedGenMed |volume=6 |issue=4 |page=4 |year=2004 |pmid=15775831 |pmc=1480580 }} Shows photographs taken in 1996 showing people with mustard gas burns.
* A research center studying mustard gas, includes with many early references on mustard gas.
*{{cite journal |last1=Clayton |first1=William |last2=Howard |first2=Alfred John |last3=Thomson |first3=David |title=Treatment of Mustard Gas Burns |journal=British Medical Journal |date=25 May 1946 |volume=1 |issue=4455 |pages=797–799 |doi=10.1136/bmj.1.4455.797 |pmid=20786722 |pmc=2058956 }}
*
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{{Chemical warfare}}
{{Sulfur mustards}}
{{U.S. chemical weapons}}

{{Authority control}}

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