#Mostrecent use of mustard gas skinIt is important to note here that not only are mustard gas and hemi-mustard both vesicants (blister skin), but the hydrolysis reaction also produces three molecules of HCl, which in itself is a skin irritant.ĭespite the ease of hydrolysis, mustard gas in its solid form has been found to last undergroundįor up to ten years. ( 6)Īny area of the body which is moist is particularly susceptible to attack by mustard gas, because although it is only slightly soluble in water, which makes it difficult to wash off, hydrolysis (the splitting of a compound by water) is rapid, and occurs freely. Exposure to high concentrations will attack the corneas of the eyes, eventually rendering the victim blind. ( 1) The effects of mustard gas exposure include the reddening and blistering of skin, and, if inhaled, will also cause blistering to the lining of the lungs, causing chronic impairment, or at worst, death. It was synthesized much earlier than its first reported use, by a man named Frederick Guthrie inġ860, who reacted ethylene with Cl 2, and noticed the toxic effects it had on his own skin. ( 8) When pure, it is in fact both odorless and colorless. Mustard gas became more widely used, because the impure "agent quality" is said to have an odor similar to that of mustard, garlic or horseradish. Its other names include H, yprite, sulfur mustard and Kampstoff Lost, but the name Its chemical formula is Cl-CH 2-CH 2-S-CH 2-CH 2-Cl Mustard gas is the common name given to 1,1-thiobis(2-chloroethane), a chemical warfare agent that is believed to have first been used near Ypres in Flanders on 12th July 1917. Submit your answers to Chemical of the Week questions by turning a printed copy of your work to the instructor directly (in lecture or in his mailbox), emailing me directly or by using this form. Questions should be addressed to the instructor. Explore a new chemical in depth every week! Students can receive an extra credit point by answering the question(s) posted in the "Chemical of the Week" articleĪnd submitting the answer to the instructor by 9 AM on the due date listed.
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