A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans.

Chemical weapons are chemical agents, whether gaseous, liquid, or solid, that are employed because of their direct toxic effects on humans, animals, and plants. They inflict damage when inhaled, absorbed through the skin, or ingested in food or drink.

What is a chemical weapon? A Chemical Weapon is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties. Munitions, devices and other equipment specifically designed to weaponise toxic chemicals also fall under the definition of chemical weapons.

Chemical warfare (CW) involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons.This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare, biological warfare and radiological warfare, which together make up CBRN, the military acronym for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (warfare or weapons), all of which are considered "weapons of mass destruction" (WMDs), a term that ...

Oct 30, 2024 · What are Chemical Warfare Agents? The Chemical Weapons Convention and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) defines a chemical weapon as, “a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties.

Anything specifically designed or intended for use in direct connection with the release of a chemical agent to cause death or harm is itself a chemical weapon. Specifically, the definition is divided into three parts: toxic chemicals and their precursors, munitions or devices and equipment ‘directly in connection’ with munitions and devices.

May 14, 2024 · From the early 1900s to 1968, the U.S. produced and stockpiled chemical weapons. The U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons has been destroyed as of 2023. Some discarded and buried items remain.

Apr 29, 1997 · Since World War I, chemical weapons have caused more than one million casualties globally. As a result of public outrage, the Geneva Protocol, which prohibited the use of chemical weapons in warfare, was signed in 1925.

Jan 16, 2025 · The United States detected numerous chemical weapons tests by Sudanese forces this year, as well as two instances in the past four months in which the weapons were used against R.S.F. troops, two ...

Chemical weapons are cheap, can cause mass casualties, and are relatively easy to produce, even by developing nations. They have been used in many conflicts during the 20th century (box), most recently by Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war, 1 as well as in terrorist attacks.