Pulmonary chemical-warfare agents

[Julian]

There are many types of chemical-warfare agents that affect different parts of the body. Pulmonary agents affect the lungs and airways. They include traditional “choking” agents, such as chlorine, phosgene, diphosgene, and chloropicrin, and some blistering agents, such as sulfur mustard, Lewisite, and phosgene oxime (which also affect the skin), as well as military smokes, products of combustion, and many toxic industrial chemicals. Most of these compounds are gases or highly volatile liquids.
Agents are divided into two types depending on which part of the respiratory tract is largely affected:

Type 1 agents: Affect large airways
Type 2 agents: Affect small airways and the small air sacs of the lungs (alveoli)

Mixed-effect agents can affect large airways, small airways, and the alveoli.
Type 1 agents include ammonia, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, riot-control agents, most smokes, sulfur dioxide, and sulfur mustard.
Type 2 agents include chloropicrin, methyl isocyanate, phosgene, and carbon tetrachloride.
Mixed-effect agents act in both large airways and alveoli in low to moderate doses. They include chlorine, HC (hexachloroethane plus zinc oxide) smoke, and Lewisite.

[Magaret]

Pulmonary agents include traditional chemical-warfare “choking” agents such as chlorine, phosgene, diphosgene, and chloropicrin and some vesicants such as sulfur mustard, Lewisite, and phosgene oxime (which also affect the skin) as well as military smokes, products of combustion, and many toxic industrial chemicals. Most of these compounds are gases or highly volatile liquids.

(See also Overview of Chemical-Warfare Agents.)