Chemical Agents and RCWM
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Chemical agents are toxic compounds that may be determined to be present in munitions and certain materials of interest. Blister agents (e.g., mustard, lewisite) are the chemical agents most likely to be encountered. Chemical weapons include several types of munitions (e.g., rockets, land mines, projectiles, bombs) that may contain different chemical agent (e.g., mustard, phosgene). (See Figure 1)
Figure 1: Common Chemical Agents†
Name Military Code
Chemical Abstract Service Registry Number
Action
State
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) Link
Blister Agents
Lewisite
L
541-25-3
Rapid
Liquid
ToxFAQs™ for Blister Agents: Lewisite (L), Mustard-Lewisite Mixture (HL).
Mustard Lewisite
HL
-
Delayed
Liquid
Sulfur mustard
H/HD
505-60-2
Delayed
Liquid
ToxFAQs™ for Blister Agents: Sulfur Mustard Agent H/HD, Sulfur Mustard Agent HT
Mustard-T mixture
HT
-
Delayed
Liquid
Nitrogen Mustards
HN-1
538-07-8
Delayed
Liquid
ToxFAQs™ for Blister Agents: HN-1, HN-2, HN-3 (Nitrogen Mustards)
HN-2
51-75-2
HN-3
555-77-1
Blood Agents
Cyanogen Chloride
CK
506-77-4
Rapid
Gas
Hydrogen Cyanide
AC
74-90-8
Rapid
Gas
Choking Agents
Phosgene
CG
75-44-5
Delayed
Gas
Nerve Agents
Sarin
GB
107-44-8
Very Rapid
Liquid
Tabun
GA
77-81-6
Very Rapid
Liquid
0-Ethyl S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methyl phosphonothiolate
VX
50782-69-9
Rapid
Liquid
† This is not a list of all chemical agents or a list of all chemicals subject to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The United States ceased open-air testing of lethal, unitary chemical agents in 1969. Disposal of chemical warfare materiel (CWM) (i.e., chemical munitions and bulk containers of chemical agents) by burial is believed to have also ended at that time. In 1970, DoD ceased sea disposal of CWM. (The RCWM Program does not address sea-disposed CWM, unless such is recovered and poses an unacceptable risk to the public or critical assets)
RCWM found at burial sites and testing ranges dates back as far as 1915, when the U.S. Army began studying chemical warfare following the use of chlorine gas by the Imperial German Army at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres, Belgium. Training with chemical agent identification sets (CAIS) began shortly after World War I and most kits were likely consumed in training. The use of CAIS largely ceased in the early 1970s with remaining stores being recalled to Rocky Mountain Arsenal in the late 1970s for destruction.Additional information on Chemical Munitions is provided in the Old Chemical Weapons and Related Materiel Reference Guide.
Figure 2 lists examples of the types of CAIS that may be recovered as the military investigates munitions response sites.
Figure 3 lists examples of the types of CWM that may be recovered as the military investigates munitions response sites. Please note, the information in both tables should not be used to make identification of any unexploded ordnance (UXO), discarded military munitions (DMM), or CAIS encountered by the public.
Figure 2: Chemical Agent Identification Sets (CAIS) Typically Recovered at CWM Sites
Name
Description
Fill
Dimensions
Total Weight
Agent Weight
Illustration
CAIS, Toxic Gas Set, M1 (K941)
This CAIS consists of 24 screw top, glass bottles, each containing 3½ ounces of pure mustard (H or HD); packed 4 to a metal can within a metal shipping tube. Used WWII through the 1950s, and obsoleted in 1971.
H
HD
Bottles are 5 x 2 inch (approx.)
Total of 84 ounces of agent per kit.
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CAIS, War Gas Identification Set, M1 (K951/K952)
This CAIS includes 48 1.4-ounce glass ampoules packed in cardboard tubes, with 12 tubes to a sealed can within a metal shipping tube. These CAIS were shipped as both instructional (K952) and detonating (K951). The detonating kits shipped with an accessory kit containing blasting caps, a reel of wire and a blasting machine. Used from the 1930s through the late 1950s, and obsoleted in 1971.
HD (5% in chloroform)
L (5% in chloroform)
PS (50% in chloroform)
CG
Ampules are 7.5 x 1 inch (approx.)
Total fluid in the kit was about 67.2 ounces, of which, 26 ounces was agent per set.
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CAIS, War Gas Identification Set, AN-M1A1 (K953/K954)
This CAIS includes 48 1.4-ounce glass ampoules packed in cardboard tubes, with 12 tubes to a sealed can within a metal shipping tube. The kit contained 8 tubes of each type. Used during the Korean Conflict Era, and obsoleted in 1971.
HD (5% in chloroform)
HN-1 (10% in chloroform)
L (5% in chloroform)
CG
CK
GA-simulant
Ampules are 7.5 x 1 inch (approx.)
Total fluid in the kit was about 67.2 ounces, of which, 23.8 ounces was agent
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Figure 3: Examples of Recovered Chemical Warfare Materiel†
Name
Description
Fill
Dimensions
Total Weight
Agent Weight
Illustration
Mortar, 8-inch, Livens
Projectile, MK1, MK2, MK2A1
MK1 made from lap-welded steel.
MK2, MK2A1 made from seamless drawn steel pipe; varied in assembly.
Blister
Choking
Explosive
Incendiary
Smoke
22 x 8 inches
60-61.5 pounds (lbs) gross weight
28-30 lbs fill
4-inch Stokes Mortar, MI
MK1 lap-welded or hot-drawn steel body. Separate endplates wider than body sealed the ends.
Blister
Choking
Explosive
Incendiary
Riot Control
Smoke
17.5-19.6 x 4.2 inch
24 lbs gross
6-9 lbs fill
4.2-Inch Mortar, M1, M1A1, M2, M2A1
One-piece, forged-steel body, integral base and walls, casing swaged to form the ogive, a point detonating fuze with an integral burster, and a tail assembly.
Blister
Choking
Explosive
Incendiary
Riot control
Smoke
21 x 4.2 inch
22-26 lbs gross
5-8 lbs fill
75 millimeters (mm) Projectile, MK2
Steel body containing the liquid; and an adapter and booster casing (gaine tube) screwed into the nose containing the bursting charge.
Blister
Choking
Riot control
Smoke
11 x 3 inch
11-13 lbs gross
1-2 lbs fill
105mm Projectile, M60 (4E1)
Forged steel body with threaded steel nose adapter for fill seal, boat-tail base, gilding metal rotating band, and streamlined ogive.
Blister
Smoke
19 x 4 inches
32-43 lbs gross
2.7-4.6 lbs fill
155mm Projectile, M104
Hollow steel body with threaded adapter for central burster tube, and rotating band near base.
Blister
Smoke
27 x 6 inches
94-100 lbs
10-17 lbs
155mm Projectile, M110
Forged steel body with full-length burster, metal rotating band near the base; threaded nose for lifting plug or fuze.
Blister
Riot Control
Smoke
28 x 6 inches
92.5-99.4 lbs gross
9.7 lbs-16.9 lbs fill
100-pound Bomb, M47, M47A1, M47A2, M47A4
Thin-skinned bomb with a burster well extending its length. The bomb was equipped with box fins.
Blister
Incendiary
Smoke
40 (body) x 8 inches
60-131 lbs gross
40-103 lbs fill
M70
Bomb
Fin-stabilized, cylindrical bomb with ogive nose and conical tail. Equipped with press-fit burster well running axially the length of the bomb.
Blister
Smoke
40 (body) x 8 inches
122-128 lbs
57-61 lbs
† The CWM shown in this table may be similar to unused CWM declared under the CWC and destroyed under the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program; however, encounters at a CWM site require an item- and fact-specific evaluation to determine applicability of the CWC.