Chemical warfare is one of the most devastating forms of conflict. It leverages toxic chemicals to disable, harm or kill without any physical confrontation. Across various conflicts, it has caused tens of thousands of deaths and affected over a million people through injury and long-term health consequences.
Mustard gas is a class of chemical that isn’t a gas at room temperature – it’s a yellow-brown oily liquid that can vaporize into a toxic mist. Viktor Meyer refined the synthesis of mustard into a more stable form. Mustard gas gained international notoriety during World War I and has been used as a weapon many times.
