Chemical weapons have been in use ever since recorded history.  The substances used in chemical warfare are known as agents.  Agents used for concealment or signaling, such as smoke, or for causing fires, called incendiaries, or those producing odors, have been used for ages prior to the 20th Century.  No thanks to the industrial revolution of the 19th Century, much more lethal chemical agents have been created.

The first use of modern chemical weapons took place during World War 1.  Two types of agents were used; chlorine, a choking agent, and mustard, a blister agent.  Mustard gas is what Iraq used during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, and it’s what is currently leaking out of a storage site in Colorado.

Prior to World War 2, the Germans developed an even more potent gas while searching for a better way to kill insects.  Most people know it as bug spray, or Raid.  For military purposes it is known as nerve agent.

After WW2, advanced chemical agents were developed, produced, and stockpiled by various countries, with the United States and the Soviet Union leading the way.  The irony is that many of those countries, including the U.S.A., and the USSR, signed agreements not to develop chemical weapons.

There is plenty of evidence that the U.S. used chemical weapons in Vietnam, and the Soviets used chemicals in Afghanistan.

Choking agents work by inflaming the bronchial tubes and lungs.  In severe cases the lungs fill with fluid and you drown.  Chlorine and phosgene are types of chocking agents.  Many people have accidentally made a chocking agent by mixing bleach and other cleaning chemicals together.  Many people actually die from this mistake.  If exposure is not severe some allergy medications can help counter the effects.

Blister agents have no immediate effect, but produce inflammation (blisters), burns and destroy mucus membranes.  The most famous type is Mustard.  If you look at the video of the victims of Iraq’s Mustard gas attacks you’ll notice a grey white substance around their mouth and nose.  It is their destroyed mucus membranes.  You must wear a gas mask with a proper filter, and a protective suit.  The most serious effect of Blister on your skin is incredibly large blisters. You can not wear a wet cloth for protection, because moisture actually attracts the chemical.  There is little that can be done for a victim of blister agent.  If it is not severe the victim will have permanent injuries.

Riot control agent, aka tear gas, irritates the mucus membranes causing watery eyes, runny nose and difficulty breathing.  My experience with it only caused pain in my eyes, while others around me suffered from the most extreme case of runny nose I’ve ever seen.  People who have respiratory problems can die, as well as anyone who inhales huge amounts of the agent.  Unlike Blister agents, a wet cloth is your best defense with Riot agents.  Fresh air is the best treatment.

Blood agents are inhaled, and kill or injure by preventing your red blood cells from carrying oxygen.  The most common type is carbon monoxide.  Many people who kill themselves use this method by breathing in the exhaust of gas powered cars (it’s actually difficult to kill yourself with the exhaust of diesel powered cars).  Fresh air is the best treatment, but if not soon enough permanent brain damage occurs.

Nerve agent, aka bug spray, destroys your ability to control your muscles by blocking the enzyme cholinsterase.  A small amount can blur your vision, cause headaches and chest tightening.  A moderate amount causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and muscular convulsions.  Heavy exposure causes severe convulsions, coma and death.  Next time you spray a bug with insecticide pay attention to how it dies, because it’s basically how you’ll die when hit with nerve agent.  The only protection is a gas mask with proper filter, and a full protective suit (nerve agent can be absorbed by your skin).  The only treatment for nerve agent is also deadly.  Atropine can be taken no more than three times after heavy exposure to nerve agent, more than three times and you could die from the atropine.  Atropine taken at any other time can kill you.  Atropine is also used in medicine, mainly to treat certain poisonings, but, atropine is also a poison derived from the Deadly Nightshade plant.

Chemical weapons have proven to be inefficient weapons.  That’s why they’re not really used that much.  The main reason is that wind and rain can totally cancel out their affects on the battlefield.  Chemical weapons work well only in confined areas, like valleys protected from high winds, or city streets surrounded by tall buildings, or gas chambers.

Also, studies show that well trained troops have a 98% survival rate when hit with chemical weapons.  There are studies that suggest that governments might be keeping chemical weapons because they work well on civilians.  One study says that a civilian population hit with chemical weapons, and with the right atmospheric conditions, would suffer 80% fatalities.

Other studies show that the most likely cause of civilian deaths would be from an accident involving the transport, or storage, of chemical weapons.