Blister agent

Chemicals that result in blistering and skin irritation and damaging

Blister agents are named for their ability to cause large, painful water blisters on the bodies of those affected. Soldier with moderate mustard gas burns sustained during World War I showing characteristic bullae on neck, armpit and hands Part of a series on

Chemical agents
Lethal agents

Blood

* Cyanogen chloride (CK)
* Hydrogen cyanide (AC)
* Arsine (SA)

Blister

* Ethyldichloroarsine (ED)
* Methyldichloroarsine (MD)
* Phenyldichloroarsine (PD)
* Lewisite (L)
* Mustard gas
(HD H HT HL HQ)

* Nitrogen mustard

* HN1
* HN2
* HN3

* Phosgene oxime (CX)
* C01-A035
* C01-A039

Nerve

|  G-agents

* Tabun (GA)
* Sarin (GB)
* Chlorosarin (GC)
* Soman (GD)
* Ethylsarin (GE)
* Cyclosarin (GF)
* GV

V-agents

* EA-3148
* V-sub x/GD-7
* VE
* VG
* VM
* VP
* VR
* VS
* VX

Novichok agents

* A-230
* A-232
* A-234
* A-242
* A-262
* C01-A035
* C01-A039
* C01-A042

Pulmonary/choking

* Chlorine
* Chloropicrin (PS)
* Phosgene (CG)

* Diphosgene (DP)
* Disulfur decafluoride

Vomiting

* Adamsite
* Chloropicrin
* Diphenylchlorarsine
* Diphenylcyanoarsine
* Diphenylamincyanoarsine

Incapacitating agents

* Agent 15 (BZ)
* Dimethylheptylpyran (DMHP)

* EA-3167
* Kolokol-1

* PAVA spray
* Sleeping gas

Riot-control (RCAs)

* Xylyl bromide
* Pepper spray (OC)
* CS
* CN (mace)
* CR

* List of chemical warfare agents

* v
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* e

A blister agent (or vesicant) is a chemical compound that causes severe skin, eye and mucosal pain and irritation. They are named for their ability to cause severe chemical burns, resulting in painful water blisters on the bodies of those affected. Although the term is often used in connection with large-scale burns caused by chemical spills or chemical warfare agents,[1] some naturally occurring substances such as cantharidin are also blister-producing agents (vesicants).[2] Furanocoumarin, another naturally occurring substance, causes vesicant-like effects indirectly, for example, by increasing skin photosensitivity greatly. Vesicants have medical uses including wart removal but can be dangerous if even small amounts are ingested.[2]

## Blister agents used in warfare

[edit]

Most blister agents fall into one of four groups:

* Sulfur mustards – A family of sulfur-based agents, including mustard gas.
* Nitrogen mustards – A family of agents similar to the sulfur mustards, but based on nitrogen instead of sulfur.
* Lewisite – An early blister agent that was developed, but not used, during World War I. It was effectively rendered obsolete with the development of British anti-Lewisite in the 1940s.
* Phosgene oxime – Occasionally included among the blister agents, although it is more properly termed a nettle agent (urticant).

## Effects

[edit]

Exposure to a weaponized blister agent can cause a number of life-threatening symptoms, including:

* Severe skin, eye and mucosal pain and irritation
* Skin erythema with large fluid blisters that heal slowly and may become infected
* Tearing, conjunctivitis, corneal damage
* Mild respiratory distress to marked airway damage

All blister agents currently known are denser than air, and are readily absorbed through the eyes, lungs, and skin. Effects of the two mustard agents are typically delayed: exposure to vapors becomes evident in 4 to 6 hours, and skin exposure in 2 to 48 hours. The effects of Lewisite are immediate.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Center for Disease Control Archived January 22, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ a b Cantharidin and Meloids: a review of classical history, biosynthesis, and function Archived September 3, 2005, at the Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

* Medterms.com Archived 2012-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
* Medical Aspects of Biological and Chemical Warfare, Chapter 7: Vesicants

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* Agents used in chemical warfare
* incapacitation
* riot control

Blood agents|

* Cyanogen
* Cyanogen bromide
* Cyanogen chloride (CK)
* Hydrogen cyanide (AC)
* Arsine
* Cacodyl cyanide
* Cacodyl oxide
* Hydrogen sulfide
* Phosphine
* Carbon monoxide
* Phosphorus trifluoride
* Methyl cyanoformate
* Iron pentacarbonyl
* Nickel tetracarbonyl
* 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin
* Glycolonitrile
* Lactonitrile
* Acetone cyanohydrin
* Stibine
* Chloral cyanohydrin

Blister agents|

| Arsenicals|

* Ethyldichloroarsine (ED)
* Methyldichloroarsine (MD)
* Phenyldichloroarsine (PD)
* Lewisite (L)
* Lewisite 2 (L2)
* Lewisite 3 (L3)

|

Sulfur mustards|

* Levinstein mustard (EA-229)
* T
* Q
* CEES

Nitrogen mustards|

* HN1
* HN2
* HN3
* TL-301

Nettle agents|

* Phosgene oxime (CX)

Other|

* KB-16
* Dibutylchloromethyltin chloride
* Selenium oxychloride
* Phenacyl bromide

Nerve agents|

| G-agents|

* Tabun (GA)
* Sarin (GB)
* Chlorosarin (ClGB)
* Thiosarin (SGB)
* Soman (GD)
* Chlorosoman (ClGD)
* Ethylsarin (GE)
* GH
* Cyclosarin (GF)
* GP
* Fluorotabun
* EA-1356
* EA-4352
* Crotylsarin

|

V-agents|

* EA-2192
* EA-3148
* VE
* VG
* VM
* VP
* VR
* VS
* VX
* EA-1763
* Chinese VX
* V-sub x (GD-7)

GV agents|

* GV (EA-5365)

Novichok agents|

* A-208
* A-232
* A-234
* A-242
* A-262
* C01-A035
* C01-A039
* C01-A042

Carbamates|

* Dimethylcarbamoyl fluoride
* EA-3887
* EA-3887A
* EA-3966
* EA-3990
* EA-4056
* T-1123
* T-1152
* T-1194
* Octamethylene-bis(5-dimethylcarbamoxyisoquinolinium bromide)
* TL-599
* TL-1238
* TL-1299
* TL-1317
* Miotine (AR-28/T-1843)
* 3152 CT
* 4-686-293-01 (Agent 1-10)

Other|

* Diisopropyl fluorophosphate
* Dicyclohexyl phosphorofluoridate
* EA-2012
* EA-2054
* EA-2098
* EA-2613
* 2-Ethoxycarbonyl-1-methylvinyl cyclohexyl methylphosphonate
* Neopentylene fluorophosphate
* Selenophos
* Phospholine
* R-16661
* Ro 3-0422
* Methanesulfonyl fluoride
* Dimefox (TL-792)
* MSPI

Precursors|

* Acetonitrile
* AT
* ATO
* AlP
* A.P.C. complex
* Chlorosarin
* Chlorosoman
* Cyclohexanol
* 1,8-Dibromooctane
* N,N-Diisopropylaminoethanol (KB)
* EA-1250
* DIHP
* ZS
* DEHP
* EA-1224
* Dimethylamidophosphoric dichloride
* Dimethylamidophosphoric dicyanide
* DMHP
* Ethylphosphonoselenoic dichloride
* Formaldoxime
* Nital
* 4-Hydroxycoumarin
* Isopropyl alcohol (TB)
* Methyldichlorophosphine (SW)
* Methylphosphonyl difluoride (difluoro) (DF)
* Methylphosphonyl dichloride (dichloro)
* Nitromethane
* OPA mixture
* Phosphoryl chloride
* Phosphorus pentachloride
* Phosphorus trichloride (TH)
* Pinacolone
* Pinacolyl alcohol
* Phenacyl chloride
* QL
* 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol
* 3,3,5-Trimethylcyclohexanol
* Triethyl phosphite
* Trimethyl phosphite
* TC
* TG

Neurotoxins|

* Anatoxin-a
* Saxitoxin (TZ)
* Coniine
* Bungarotoxin
* Botulinum toxin (BTX)
* Tetanospasmin (TeNT)
* Ryanodine
* Ciguatoxin (CTX)
* Guanitoxin (GTX)
* Chlorophenylsilatrane
* Palytoxin (PTX)
* Maitotoxin (MTX)
* Tetrodotoxin
* Veratridine
* Aconitine
* Brevetoxin (PbTX)
* Strychnine
* Antillatoxin (ATX)
* Tetraethyllead
* Dimethylmercury
* HN1 hydrochloride
* HN2 hydrochloride
* HN3 hydrochloride
* A-8564
* Picrotoxin
* Gelsemine
* Sulfuryl fluoride
* Tremorine
* Oxotremorine
* Batrachotoxin
* Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS)
* Bicyclic phosphates
* IPTBO
* TBPO
* TBPS
* Cloflubicyne
* Trimethylolpropane phosphite
* Domoic acid

Pulmonary/
choking agents|

* Chlorine
* Bromine
* Phosgene (CG)
* Fluorine
* Perfluoroisobutene
* Chloropicrin (PS)
* Dimethyl(trifluoromethylthio)arsine
* Diphosgene (DP)
* Disulfur decafluoride (Z)
* Acrolein
* Ethyl bromoacetate
* Perchloromethyl mercaptan
* Phenylcarbylamine chloride
* Tetranitromethane
* Tetrachlorodinitroethane
* Chlorine trifluoride
* Perchloryl fluoride
* Cadmium oxide
* Cadmium chloride
* Mercuric chloride
* Selenium dioxide
* Selenoyl fluoride
* Trifluoronitrosomethane
* Trichloronitrosomethane
* Nitric oxide
* Nitrogen dioxide
* Dinitrogen tetroxide
* Sulfur dioxide
* Phosphorus trichloride
* Methyl isocyanate
* Ethenone
* Methyl vinyl ketone
* Trifluoroacetyl chloride
* Salcomine
* Fluomine
* Uranium hexafluoride
* Diborane
* Green Cross

Vomiting agents|

* Adamsite (DM)
* Chloropicrin
* Litharge-glycerine
* Diphenylchlorarsine
* Diphenylcyanoarsine
* Cacodyl cyanide
* o-Dianisidine
* Antimony potassium tartrate
* Lobeline

Incapacitating
agents|

* BZ (CS-4030)
* Apomorphine
* Butyrophenone
* EA-4941 (CS-4640)
* Etorphine
* EA-2092
* CS-4297
* Etoxadrol
* Dimethylheptylpyran (DMHP)
* Canbisol
* EA-2148
* EA-3167
* Nicotine
* EA-3443
* Methaqualone
* Pethidine
* EA-3580
* Ibogaine
* EA-3834
* Kolokol-1
* LSD-25
* PAVA spray
* Psilocybin
* Sleeping gas
* Carfentanil
* JB-318
* JB-336
* CS-27349
* CAR-226,086
* CAR-301,060
* CAR-302,196
* CAR-302,282
* CAR-302,668
* Benperidol
* Desflurane
* Enflurane
* Bufotenin
* Isoflurane
* Halothane
* Sevoflurane
* Pentazocine
* Procarbazine
* Fluphenazine
* Chlorpromazine

Lachrymatory
agents|

* Xylyl bromide
* Pepper spray (OC)
* Mace (spray)
* CN
* CS
* CR
* CNS
* Benzyl chloride
* Benzyl bromide
* Benzyl iodide
* Bromobenzyl cyanide
* Thiophosgene
* Chloroacetone
* Bromoacetone
* Bromomethyl ethyl ketone
* Acrolein
* Phenacyl bromide
* Chloroacetophenone oxime
* Ethyl bromoacetate
* Ethyl iodoacetate
* Iodoacetone
* Allyl isothiocyanate
* Hexamethylene diisocyanate
* Crotonaldehyde
* DRC-5593

Malodorant agents|

* Thioacetone
* Allicin
* Skatole
* Cadaverine
* Putrescine

Cornea-clouding agents|

* Lewisite
* CX
* KB-16
* Methyl cyanoacrylate
* N-Methylmorpholine
* Allyl alcohol
* Osmium tetroxide
* Acrolein
* Cacodyl cyanide

Biological toxins|

* Abrin
* Aconitine
* Cyclopiazonic acid
* Histrionicotoxins
* Aflatoxins
* Anatoxin-a
* Batrachotoxin
* Botulinum toxin
* Brevetoxin
* Ciguatoxin
* Domoic acid
* Enterotoxin type B
* Grayanotoxin
* Guanitoxin
* Maitotoxin
* Modeccin
* Palytoxin
* Ricin
* Saxitoxin
* Shiga toxin
* T-2 mycotoxin
* Tetanospasmin
* Tetrodotoxin
* Volkensin
* Veratridine

Other|

* Methyl fluoroacetate
* Napalm (variants and mixtures)
* Fluoroethyl fluoroacetate
* Depleted uranium
* post-combustion uranium oxides
* Plutonium and its compounds
* Polonium
* White phosphorus

* List of chemical warfare agents
* CB military symbol

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