Gas yperite: effects on humans, examples of application, consequences

During the First World War, the German command began to use chemical weapons for the first time to attack opponents. As a result of chemical attacks killed more than a million people. "King" of the poison gases of the First World War was mustard gas. The article answers the questions about what is mustard gas and where it is used.

History of creation

Yperite is the scientific name 2,2'-dichloroethyl thioether. It is impossible to say exactly who was the first to synthesize gas. At about the same time (1860) several scientists were able to isolate this ether in the laboratories. In Germany, the discovery was made by Albert Niemann, in England - by Frederick Guthrie, in France - by César Despres. The German Victor Mayer (1886) managed to develop a method of obtaining pure mustard gas. Also, these scientists conducted the first laboratory tests, which resulted in work with a description of the toxic effects of mustard per person.

The colleague, who also took part in the research together with V. Mayer, was a Russian scientist, Nikolai Dmitrievich Zelinsky. Unfortunately, in the process of work ND Zelinsky received a burn and poisoning with this gas, which did not allow further testing. Based on the works of W. Mayer, in 1916, two chemists, V. Lommel and V. Steinkopf developed and introduced industrial production of toxic gas, which they called Lost (the first two letters of the names of scientists). The name of the gas is not fixed.

In 1917 on July 12, during the attack of the Belgian city of Ypres, the Germans used mines stuffed with oily poisonous substance. The effect of mustard gas on a man was ruthless. He penetrated even through clothes and shoes. As a result of the bombardment of mustard gas, about 2500 people were injured, about 100 people were killed. After this deadly attack, the gas received its valid name - mustard gas. The second name of a poisonous substance, which is also on hearing, is mustard gas. This is due to the specific smell of mustard gas, which resembles the aroma of mustard or horseradish.

Methods of production in industry

After the fierce events at the town of Ypres, German opponents began actively developing methods for the industrial production of toxic gas. The British, the Americans and the French used the direct synthesis proposed by Nimon and Guthrie to produce the ether. Yperite was obtained as a result of the combination of two substances, ethylene and sulfur chlorides. This process is not as labor-consuming and costly as the method used by the Germans.

In Germany, the method of V. Mayer was used to obtain mustard gas, but supplemented. "Mustard gas" was produced by combining thiodiglycol with phosphorus trichloride. Despite the fact that this method required more time for synthesis, the Germans used only it. After all, the final product was several times more (95%) than with other methods.

Physical properties

The basic physical properties of 2,2'-dichloroethyl thioether:

• A liquid that does not have color.
• The smell is sharp, like garlic, mustard.
• The boiling point is 217 ° C.
• The melting point is 14.5 ° C.
• The substance breaks down at a temperature of 150 ° C; Complete decomposition at 500 ° C.
• The density of the substance is higher than the density of water.
• At high air temperatures, the stability of the toxic gas decreases, but the number of ether molecules in the air increases due to good volatility.

Chemical properties

For the chemical properties of mustard, there is sulfur, two chlorine atoms and ethylene:

• Poorly soluble in water. Mixing occurs only with thorough mixing. For example, if you get into some pond, mustard will not dissolve in water, but remains with the same chemical composition while being at depth. In some cases, it can form a thin film on the water surface.
• It is readily soluble in vegetable and animal fats, organic solvents.
• It is inert to many types of metals; A container for storing liquid can serve as aluminum capsules.

Ypirit: effects on humans

Yperite refers to the poisonous substances of blistering. What is the mechanism of the effect of poison on the human body?

• Because of the good solubility of mustard in fats of vegetable and animal origin, it freely penetrates the human body through the skin. In hot weather, enhanced excretion of toxic gas is promoted by sweat secretions.
• In the human body mustard is quickly broken down. In this case, other toxic compounds are formed, which cause great harm to a person.
• Lymphocytes and leukocytes are primarily affected by yperite. As a result, the immune system becomes vulnerable.
• The next in terms of the degree of negative impact are the organs of the hematopoietic system, the intestinal mucosa.
• Yperite can change the structure of DNA.

The poisoning effect of mustard on the body is as follows:

• At the initial contact with small doses of mustard gas, a person can immediately not notice the effect of gas on the surface of the skin or the respiratory tract. The latent period is 6-8 hours. Only increasing the concentration of gas in the environment will result in a sneezing or choking in the throat.
• The poison substance accumulates in the body, thereby aggravating the patient's condition.
• With any exposure to the surface of the tissue and mucosa, the death of cells begins, which leads to the death of the damaged area.
• Restoration of the tissue after the damage is very slow.
• On the areas of the body damaged by the poisonous substance, there are vesicular wounds. As a result of reduced immunity, repeated infection with other infections may occur, which will complicate patient recovery or lead to death.
• There are mutations.
• The sensitivity of the organism to pathogens increases.

Ypirit: effects, forms of defeat by poison gas

The main effect of mustard gas on the eyes, respiratory tract, skin. If the poisonous substance is sprayed in the form of gas, then the effect of gas of mustard gas on a person occurs most often through the organs of vision, then the respiratory system and slightly less often the skin. The droplet liquid form of mustard gas primarily affects the skin. The consequences of a gas attack are treated better than from liquid forms of a poison agent.

Light forms of organ damage occur in the case of a short stay in the area of the poisonous substance with a small concentration in the form of gas (0.002 mg / L) and liquid form (0.01 mg / cm2). Medium - with an increased number of molecules of the poison in the environment: gas - 0015 mg / l, liquid-dropping - 0.1 mg / cm2. Severe poisoning with mustard gas, which can lead to death, occurs when the substance concentration in the vapor state is 0.07 mg / liter. The photo of the effect of mustard gas on a person can be seen in the article.

Three forms of respiratory damage:

• The mild form of defeat: inflammation of the mucous pharynx, nose. It appears in abundant discharge from the nose, difficulty swallowing, throat swelling. After 10-12 days, the symptoms go away.
• The middle form: cough with purulent discharge, high body temperature, pain in the chest area. Inadequate treatment leads to the development of pneumonia. In time, the prescribed therapy promotes recovery in a month and a half.
• Severe form: symptoms of poisoning occur a few hours after exposure to gas of mustard gas. Manifestations of intoxication - cough with discharge purulent discharge, high temperature, pneumonia develops on the third day, which can go to lung necrosis and death. Recovery of a patient after severe poisoning is difficult.

Three forms of damage to the organs of vision:

• The eyes are most sensitive to the effects of mustard gas. Even at low concentrations (0.005 mg / l) after half an hour - three hours, felt, burning, sensation of sand in the eyes, mucous eyes swell, tears run wildly. After a couple of weeks, the condition is normalized.
• If the eye is of medium severity, the symptoms described above become worse, the cornea of the eye is inflamed, and purulent discharge appears. Such lesions are amenable to treatment, recovery occurs after three months.
• Heavy forms of lesions occur in the event that drip-and-drop mustard has got into the eyes. The cornea of the eye is severely affected, first there is inflammation, then turbidity, after the death of the corneal tissues, most often leads to blindness.

Three forms of skin damage:

• An easy form of lesion: inflammation occurs in the place of skin and poisonous agent contact, pigment spots, peeling appear. After a week and a half, the symptoms go away, only the pigmentation can last for a long time.
• At medium severity of exposure to the skin, small bubbles appear, which then combine into one, burst, opening the subcutaneous layers. At the same time, infection with other infections can occur, which will aggravate the course of the disease. It is also characterized by severe itching and soreness. Symptoms go away in a month.
• The heaviest form is the third. It is characterized by deep lesions of tissues that grow into hard-healing necrotic ulcers. Recovery comes in 4 months.

Yperite can also enter the gastrointestinal tract with poisoned food or water. Toxic changes are recorded in the oral cavity, esophagus and stomach. In the intestine, as a rule, no inflammation occurs because the poison enters the blood from the stomach. Symptoms: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, malfunctioning of the heart, general exhaustion of the body. Severe forms of poisoning lead to death.

First aid

First of all, in order to avoid the toxic effect of mustard gas on a person, it is necessary to protect the skin and respiratory organs, eyes with special means - a gas mask and a protective suit.

If you get drops of mustard on your skin, you can neutralize it by applying a special substance from an individual anti-chemical package, if not, then use an alcohol solution of chloramine. If the eyes are damaged, rinse them with running water or a weak soda solution. Penetration of mustard gas in the digestive tract is blocked by washing the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Application

For the first time, the use of mustard by the Germans occurred during the war between the Quadruple Alliance and the Entente. In literature, this armed conflict is often called a chemical war, because during this period a terrible amount of poisonous lethal substances was tested and applied.

The German military used mustard to stop the advance of the enemy's army near the town of Ypres. On the night of July 13, 1917, the Germans attacked the Entente forces with mustard gas. The consequences of the first use of the poisonous substance turned out to be terrible: about 2500 people were injured, about 100 died. Many died after the military operation, since the action of the lethal gas does not immediately manifest itself. After this German attack, the British, Americans, the French decided to take on mustard gas too.

Thousands of dead, mutilated fates, bodies, faces of soldiers and civilians, pollution of land and water - the consequences of the use of chemical weapons during the war. The civilized world could not allow a repetition of such horror in the future. As a result, in 1925 the Geneva Protocol on the prohibition of the use of chemical weapons, bacteriological weapons in wartime was signed.

Despite the ban, many countries still used poisonous substances to drive their opponent into a corner and win the war.

Mussolini did not hesitate to use mustard in the war of the Italian state against Ethiopia (1935-1936). The main goal is to unite the northern part of Africa under the flag of Italy, so brutal military methods, including the Himataki, were used in the course. As a result, Italy annexed Ethiopia and merged with Eritrea and Italian Somalia into a new colony.

In 1943, there was a tragedy, which affected not only the military, but also civilians in the port of Bari. The German squadron bombed American ships, one of which carried shells filled with mustard gas. Despite the fact that the transported bombs were without fuses, an air strike was enough to activate the toxic contents. There was a chemical attack that killed about 90 people.

The Japanese surpassed all in the testing and use of chemical weapons in China. In the early thirties of the 20th century, they acquired from Germany equipment for the production of toxic gas on an industrial scale. The Japanese army built several chemical plants in the provinces of China. Tests of poisonous substances they conducted on prisoners of war and ordinary peasants! The soldiers of the country of the rising sun regarded the Chinese as an expendable material. The Japanese army "did not spare" chemical weapons during the military operations in China (1937-1945). After the end of the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese, getting rid of "evidence", buried or drowned in reservoirs huge stocks of chemical weapons. In the 90s of the 20th century there were cases when hastily disused chemical wares were damaged, and the poisoning effect of mustard gas was experienced by ordinary citizens. In 2010, reports appeared in the press that a construction of a plant in China on the disposal of chemical weapons buried by the Japanese would be conducted.

Prohibition of chemical weapons

On 3 September 1993, the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was proposed for signature. It came into force only in April 1997, after it was signed by 65 states. According to this treaty, countries must destroy all chemical weapons stockpiles on the territory and conserve programs to develop and introduce new types of poisonous substances. To date, the convention has been signed by 190 countries that are members of the UN. About 60% of all chemical weapons are disposed of.

Modern realities

The convention was supported by many countries, but poisonous substances continue to be used not only during military conflicts, but also when bombing civilian cities. So in the spring of 2017, the media exploded on the use of mustard gas in military Iraq. Initiators of the Khimatak were representatives of the Islamic state (banned in Russia). Also, the use of chemical weapons has also been recorded in the cities of Syria (2016-2017). From attacks, poisonous substances suffer not only military, but also civilians. Although the government of Syria officially announced that the last batch of chemical weapons was exported in June 2014. Laboratories for the production of mustard gas in military Iraq were discovered by the Americans. UN Commissions conduct investigations on each fact of the use of poisonous substances.

Is yperite a medicine?

After the tragedy in 1943, the bodies of the dead were examined by scientists in the Italian port of Bari. As a result of the examination, it was found that there are no leukocytes in the hematopoietic organs and lymph nodes. This finding led scientists to believe that mustard gas can be used in therapy against cancer diseases. Researchers from America Goodman and Gilman, based on mustard gas, developed a substance that was administered in small doses to a patient with lymphoma. At first, the medicine depressingly acted on tumor formation. It decreased in size. But after a while the cancer progressed. And the substance accumulated in the body on the basis of mustard gas did not begin to help the body, but on the contrary to poison it. A man was dying of intoxication.

In small concentrations, mustard is used to treat skin disease psoriasis. On the basis of mustard gas, ointments are created, where it is contained in a proportion of 1 to 20,000 or 40,000. But for the last 20 years, medicine has rarely resorted to such a radical treatment.

During wars, various methods are used, sometimes very cruel to achieve the goals. But not always the end justifies the means. So it happened with the use of chemical weapons. The consequences of the use of poisonous substances are shocking (including the effect of mustard gas on a person). Until now, mankind has been trying to cope with the consequences of using chemical weapons. To date, the main task of the civilized world is not to repeat such mistakes.