 A chemical weapon (CW) is a device that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm to human beings.  Chemical weapons use the toxic properties of chemical substances rather than their explosive properties to produce physical or physiological effects on an enemy.

Blister Agents:Blister Agents: (Vesicants):(Vesicants):  Phosgene oxime (CX) Phosgene oxime  Lewisite (L) Lewisite  Sulfur Mustard (Yperite) (HD) Sulfur Mustard (Yperite)  Nitrogen Mustard (HN) Nitrogen Mustard Nerve Agents:  Tabun (GA) Tabun  Sarin (GB) Sarin  Soman (GD) Soman  Cyclosarin (GF) Cyclosarin  VX (VX) VX

Blood Agents:  Cyanogen chloride (CK) Cyanogen chloride  Hydrogen cyanide (AC) Hydrogen cyanide Choking Agents:  Chloropicrin (PS) Chloropicrin  Phosgene (CG) Phosgene  Diphosgene (DP) Diphosgene  Chlorine (CI) Chlorine

A British gas bomb that was used during World War I

 Approximately 19 million gallons of Agent Orange were used by the US military in southern Vietnam between 1962 and  It eradicated around 15% of South Vietnam’s vegetation, and gave rise to serious health problems for the soldiers, civilians and local wildlife that were exposed to it.  Agent Orange contains dioxin, a highly toxic substance that is still detected in the bodies of Vietnamese people today.  It contaminated the soil and rivers and, through the food chain, passed into fish - a staple of the Vietnamese diet.

 Humankind has always counted its war casualties in terms of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians, destroyed cities and livelihood.  The environment has always been an unpublicised, unnoticed victim of war.  UN and environmental activists are demanding that nations stop using environmental destruction as a weapon of war