Blood Agents Throughout History

916 Words2 Pages

Blood Agents Throughout History
The utilization of chemical weapons during war has been in use since the beginning of time. The first time chemical warfare was use dates back to 600 B.C where Greek soldiers would poison the water reservoirs of their enemies. During 423 B.C. the Spartan soldiers used sulfur to attack Greece. Later on, in 673 C.E. the Greek navy was infamous for using burning chemical in the open sea, creating a floating fire wall allowing them to earn maneuver superiority. The use of chemical warfare continued throughout the middle ages where the Mongolian army used catapults to throw burning sulfur to their enemies. Chemical warfare became weapons of mass destruction during WWI, during the war, over one million casualties were reported and over 90 thousand were killed (Fitzgerald, 2008). Since WW I chemical weapons have been utilized in the battlefield, most noticeable during the Iraq and Iran war in 1980. World Powers have realized that chemical warfare, even though it provides an enormous advantage in the battlefield, it also comes with years of secondary effects and could become an immense financial burden.
Types of Chemical Agents
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has categorized the types of most commonly used chemical agents. The CDC also acts as an informational pool for the civilian population to understand the effects, symptoms and treatment of each chemical agent. The CDC categorized chemical agents under the following categories or types: biotoxins, blister agents/vesicants, blood agents, caustics (Acids), choking/lung/pulmonary agents, incapacitating agents, long-acting anticoagulants, metals, nerve agents, organic solvents, riot control agents/tear gas, toxic alcohols, and vomiting agents (CDC,...

... middle of paper ...

...etection-of-clandestine-programs#toc274184
Terrorism agent (2014). BLOOD AGENTS. Retrieved May 18, 2014 from http://www.sjcphs.org/healthcare_providers/Documents/05%20Terrorism%20Agents/27 %20Blood%20Agents.pdf
Walberg, M. A. (2002, March 12). Police find cyanide stash in CTA tunnel. Chicago Tribune .
Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved May 19, 2012 from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-
03-12/news/0203120291_1_cyanide-dr-chaos-tunnel
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. O. F. (2014). Types of chemical agent/Blood agents. Retrieved May 16, 2014 from http://www.opcw.org/about-chemical-weapons/types-of-chemical-agent/blood- agents/hydrogen-cyanide/
Fitzgerald, G.J. (2008, July). Chemical Warfare and Medical Response during World War I. Publication Medical Central. Retrieved July, 2008 from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376985/

Open Document