(2)
Blister Agents.
Blister agents affect the eyes and lungs and blister the skin. Some
types escape immediate notice, others sting, and still others cause
the formation of wheals, or welts, on the skin. Blister agents may
appear as colorless to dark brown, oily, liquid droplets; they are
normally invisible when in vapor form. In liquid or vapor form these
agents may burn or blister any part of the body that they contact,
either internal or external. They are effective even in small
quantities and they produce delayed casualties. A drop of mustard-
type blister agent the size of a pinhead can produce a blister one
inch in diameter. Unprotected troops exposed to a low vapor
concentration of agent for a long period may eventually become
casualties.
Blister agents act on the eyes, the lungs, and the skin; they burn and
blister the skin or any other part of the body they touch. They
damage the respiratory tract when inhaled and cause vomiting and
diarrhea when absorbed.
These agents often have a more serious effect than is immediately
apparent. While a few blister agents cause immediate pain or
irritation, most do not cause any immediate pain, and signs of injury
may not appear for several hours. Blister agent symptoms may include
any of the following:
Irritation or stinging of eyes
Irritation of nose
Stinging of the skin; welts and blisters
Redness of the skin (like sunburn)
(3)
Blood Agents.
Dissemination of blood agents is usually in the form of vapors or
gases, and the body takes in these agents through respiration. They
affect the circulatory and respiratory systems by preventing the body
cells from using the oxygen carried by the blood. After inhaling a
high concentration of blood agent, a human may become unconscious and
die within a few minutes. Blood agents are colorless but may have a
faint odor that is similar to peach kernels or bitter almonds. Some
blood agents are very irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes.
Depending upon the amount of agent present, the effects of blood
agents may range from mild incapacitation to death. Some of the
symptoms are: vertigo, nausea, headache, convulsions and coma.
(4)
Choking Agents.
Choking agents, usually disseminated as gases, enter the body through
the respiratory tract (by inhalation). They affect the
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