Since they were very first used, people have sought ways to ban chemical weapons.
April 29, 2022 marked the Chemical Weapons Convention’s 25th milestone. Back in 1997, the idea to eliminate chemical weapons along with the facilities where these were created was supported by 193 nations. At the moment, one of the greatest threats to world peace is the resurgence of chemical weapons and this is because, according to some officials, in the 21st century these weapons of mass destruction continue to be used.
What are chemical weapons?
Chemical weapons (CWs) cause serious health issues, damaging skin and eyes, impacting the respiratory system and can lead to death. Their effects can be either immediate or emerge later which means that those people who are affected may sometimes not be able to detect if they have been harmed.
By definition, CWs are chemicals used to intentionally kill or harm people through their poisonous ingredients. The definition of CWs also includes weapons, apparatus, and other gear made expressly for turning hazardous substances into weapons.
According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW, the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention which aims to eliminate chemical weapons), there are four main groups of CWs based on their impact on the human body:
- Nerve agents
- Blister agents
- Choking agents
- Blood agents.
Deployment of chemical weapons throughout history
The UN has set the starting point for the use of modern CWs in World War I (1914–1918).
🔹 World War I
Essentially, this was just ordinary weaponry that had industrial chemicals added to it. For the most part, chlorine and mustard gas were used, causing terrible skin burns. The results of the deployment of these were catastrophic causing circa 100,000 deaths with many soldiers and civilians suffering psychological trauma caused by “gas fear” and from the exposure to various chemicals.
The first initiative to ban the use of CWs was in 1925 when the Geneva Protocol was adopted. While this was a positive step, it nevertheless had several serious flaws, one of which was that it did not forbid the development, manufacture, or storage of CWs. Moreover, several countries that signed the Protocol retained the right to make use of CWs against nations that had not signed the Protocol or as a means of retribution if CWs should be used against them.
🔹 Interwar period
Even though prohibited, CWs were used a number of times between 1918 and 1939 by:
- British forces in the Russian Civil War (1919)
- Spanish forces in Morocco (1923–1926)
- Italian forces in Libya (1930)
- Italian forces in Ethiopia (1935–1936).
🔹 World War II
Although the Third Reich manufactured over 12,000 tons of the fatal chemicals, for some reason these were not used on the battleground.
However, it is worth mentioning that the gas used by the Nazis for the mass killings in the gas chambers falls under today’s definition of CWs.
The Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) witnessed the Japanese military deploying mustard agents and other poisonous chemicals against Chinese soldiers.
🔹 Post-World War II era
Surprisingly the use of CWs did not stop after WWII.
- In Yemen’s civil conflict, between 1963 and 1967 the Egyptian military used sulfur mustard and nerve agents.
- In the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), Iraq employed several chemical weapons, including sulfur mustard and sarin. As a result, tens of thousands of Iranians lost their lives.
- In an incident on April 4, 2017, in the Syrian province of Idlib, chemical weapons were deployed with initial indications suggesting that the Syrian forces had used sarin gas, a nerve agent. Human Rights Watch documented that 90 people fell victim to chemical exposure but, according to medical staff, the strike injured hundreds more. The Syrian government has denied all accusations.
What impact do chemical weapons have on our wellbeing?
The effect of CWs on humans can be immediate or may later emerge depending on the levels of toxins a person has been exposed to.
The impact of CWs on the skin causes rashes, burning, and blistering. If the eyes are affected, CWs can cause blindness, acute burning, and other side effects. Inhaling CWs vapors damages the respiratory system causing choking and eventual death.
Here are a few examples:
- Sulfur mustard (blistering agent) is a deadly agent. Even slight contact with the skin can later have a lethal effect.
- Chlorine (chocking agent) impacts breathing and the eyes. Acidic hydrochloride is created when combined with water.
- Sarin (nerve agent) prevents one enzyme connected to our muscles from functioning. As a result, all the muscles, including those that regulate the lungs will cramp, causing people to suffocate to death.
- Cyanide (blood agent) stops cell respiration and prevents the cell from functioning.
How do chemical weapons harm the environment?
Throughout history, many nations have released numerous chemical agents into the world’s oceans including hydrogen cyanide, sulfur mustard, and arsenic-containing compounds. However, when CWS were first created, no thought was given as to how their neutralization would have a serious environmental impact.
Mustard gas, for example, indirectly affects humans through polluted soil and groundwater, remaining very harmful for years after its original use.
Some toxins decompose over a longer period of time which eventually may cause irreversible damage to marine ecosystems. However, it is worth noting that the absence of information regarding their nature and toxicity level makes assessing their impact on the environment very challenging.
Experts caution that, despite a rise in fishing activities in the impacted areas, it is still important to continuously monitor changes at the disposal sites.
Advanced and ecofriendly techniques must be used to manage the encapsulation of stockpiles and storage buildings, the digging up of old/abandoned inventories, shipping, and dismantling.
The first disarmament agreement to be negotiated in a multilateral environment, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), was ratified and came into force on April 29th, 1997.
The Convention forbids state parties from manufacturing, acquiring, storing, transferring, or employing chemical weapons and also requires them to take the appropriate action to impose this prohibition on all individuals under their control.
In addition, all state parties are obliged to abolish all their CWs along with all the facilities where these can be created.
Final word
Chemical weapons only have one objective: to silently destroy everything including the environment, wildlife, and people. They are invisible and toxic enough to have negative impacts on our health without us noticing them. They fall on our body, hair, skin, and clothes and can cross-contaminate elsewhere, being harmful to both the medical specialists and those who they attempt to save.
Even though countries around the globe agreed to abolish the use of CWs, there remains a risk that one day these will be used in intra-state wars and terrorist acts. Thus, it is crucial to study their effects and ensure health systems all around the world are prepared and have an effective response should CWs be used.
