The U.S. has recently accused Russia of using chemical weapons such as Chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces, which violates the Chemical Weapons Convention.
About Chloropicrin:
- Chloropicrin acts as a broad-spectrum fumigant and can serve multiple roles, including warfare agent, antimicrobial agent, herbicide, nematicide, and pesticide.
- It appears as a colourless to faintly yellow oily liquid and shares characteristics with tear gas.
- This substance is highly volatile and becomes a gas at room temperature.
- Also known by names such as nitrochloroform, picfume, picride, and trichloronitromethane.
- Exposure to Chloropicrin can lead to several health risks, including irritation, vomiting, tears-inducing effects, and carcinogenicity.
- It was first deployed as a poison gas during the First World War by both the Allied and Central Powers.
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