At a time when science is helping solve the world's toughest problems, chemical warfare remains a sobering example of innovation gone wrong. Used to incapacitate or kill by exploiting toxic substances, chemical weapons have carved a grim legacy in modern history.
Chemical warfare involves the use of manufactured chemical substances in military conflicts to harm humans, animals, or the environment. These agents—often dispersed through gas, aerosols, or bombs—affect the nervous system, lungs, or skin, depending on their composition.
Historically, chemical weapons made their infamous debut in World War I when German forces released chlorine gas on the Western Front. Thousands of soldiers suffocated in trenches, unprepared for a threat they couldn’t see or smell. By the end of the war, over a million casualties were attributed to chemical agents.
World War II saw limited battlefield use but introduced even deadlier chemicals. In Nazi concentration camps, the gas Zyklon B was used in mass executions. In the late 20th century, chemical attacks returned during the Iran-Iraq War, and more recently, during the Syrian civil war, with sarin and chlorine gas reportedly used against civilian populations.
Chemical weapons are broadly classified into five categories based on their physiological effects: nerve agents, blister agents, blood agents, choking agents, and incapacitating agents. Each targets a specific body system and can cause effects ranging from paralysis to fatal organ failure. Many of these substances are odorless and colorless, making detection and protection extremely difficult.
In response to their use, the international community established the Geneva Protocol in 1925, banning chemical and biological weapons. This was strengthened by the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), signed by more than 190 countries, which not only prohibited use but also mandated the destruction of existing stockpiles. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), based in The Hague, oversees compliance and conducts inspections worldwide.
Despite these efforts, enforcement remains a challenge. Reports of continued use in war zones and the stockpiling of undeclared chemical agents raise concerns about global security and treaty violations.
Medical experts warn that chemical attacks are especially dangerous in urban areas. A single incident can expose thousands within minutes. Treatment often requires immediate administration of antidotes, such as atropine for nerve agents, along with decontamination and respiratory support.
Beyond the physical threat, chemical warfare poses ethical questions. Scientists and policymakers are grappling with the dual-use dilemma—technologies developed for peaceful research that can be repurposed for violence.
“Science must never be stripped of ethics,” said Dr. Meera Rao, a chemical toxicologist at IIT Delhi. “Our job is not only to innovate but to safeguard the consequences of what we create.”
As geopolitical tensions persist in parts of the world, experts emphasize the need for public awareness, strong international cooperation, and continued scientific accountability to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.