Mustard gas is a poison used in chemical weapons . It belongs to a group of blister -causing chemicals called vesicants. Mustard is actually not a gas. It is an oily liquid. The liquid can be sprayed or dispersed by a weapon’s explosion . Heavy exposure to mustard droplets causes deep skin burns. Mustard exposure can also damage the victim’s eyes, resulting in extensive swelling and temporary or even permanent blindness. If inhaled, mustard causes blisters along the respiratory tract and fluid deposits in the lungs. Victims of mustard attack often require intensive care for many months before they are healed. As with other agents (substances) used in chemical weapons, the use of mustard in warfare is banned by international law .
Mustard was developed by the German army in 1917 for use in World War I . Germany and its enemies—France, the United Kingdom, and the United States—used mustard extensively toward the end of the war. Mustard’s traumatic effects led to the establishment of the 1925 Geneva Protocol. The protocol sought to prevent the use of mustard and other chemical weapons. However, mustard was used in later conflicts. They included the Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1936), the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988).
Mustard is a persistent chemical, meaning it contaminates an area for days or weeks. It is not as deadly as nerve agents, which can cause death within minutes. But troops may be forced to wear cumbersome clothing and masks to guard against mustard, putting them at a tactical disadvantage. In the Iran-Iraq War, for example, the threat of Iraqi mustard attacks forced Iranian troops to wear heavy protective gear in hot desert battlefields, and many suffered heat stroke.
See also Chemical Weapons Convention ; Chemical-biological-radiological warfare (CBR) .
