ILLUSTRATIONS Thales Molina
When it doesn’t cause death, it damages DNA, increasing the chances of cancer. Weaker versions of the gas were synthesized by several chemists in the 19th century, but it was not until 1913 that the Englishman Hans Thacher Clarke created the most concentrated version and discovered all of its toxic potential: a bottle of the gas broke and he had to be hospitalized. One of his collaborators, a German, reported the case to the Chemical Society of his country, which used the substance in combat for the first time, in July 1917, in the 1st World War. It is a colorless and viscous liquid, but, treated to be a chemical weapon, it becomes gaseous, yellowish and gains an odor similar to that of the plant called mustard. But at least it has a positive use: since 1919, mustard gas has been used to suppress cancerous cell formations in the blood, contributing to the fight against leukemia and lymphomas to this day.
DEADLY DOSE
Ingestion of the gas irritates mucous membranes, causing burning, large blisters and internal burns. If the amount of gas is large, it affects the entire digestive system. Symptoms appear after 24 hours. Because it mixes with fat, the agent is easily absorbed by the body, and is even able to pass through clothes.
HASTA LA VISTA
In contact with the eyes, mustard causes a conjunctivitis. Within 24 hours, the eyelids swell and the victim becomes blind. The pupil can become very small permanently. With treatment in less than 12 hours, ocular contamination does not kill, but it leaves sequels, such as blindness and other damage that can force the removal of the eyes.
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LAST DRAG
Inhaled, mustard gas causes bleeding and blisters in the respiratory system. Victims usually die of pulmonary edema – excess fluid in the lung. Even at high concentrations, the gas is not noticed by the victim for several hours. In the case of lung contamination, this “discretion” is fatal.
CONTINUOUS DAMAGE
If exposure is only on the skin, the gas is fatal when it affects more than 50% of the victim’s body. Death is slow, extremely painful and can take weeks. If the person survives, the treatment is long and debilitating. Even so, the chances of getting skin cancer in the future increase exponentially
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Not to be confused with Agent Orange
This herbicide, also orange in color, would have killed more than 400,000 in the Vietnam War
Agent Orange was used as a herbicide between 1961 and 1971 in the Vietnam War. The justification was the US need to eliminate forest zones and plantations, areas that favored Viet Cong resistance. The problem is that it is carcinogenic and causes genetic mutations. Because of this, more than half a million children were born with deformities after the conflict. He would have killed another 400,000, but the US disputes the number.
SOURCES Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and BBC News