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Characteristics of chemical attacks
Emel Altıntaş1, Ali Kaan Ataman2
1Emergency Medicine Specialist, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Altındag, Ankara, Turkey. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4487-5661.
American Journal of Disaster Medicine
|May 12, 2023
Summary
Chemical weapon use persists despite bans, with acidic substances, chlorine, and tearing agents being common. Recent decades show increased use of chlorine and mustard gas, highlighting a concerning trend in chemical warfare.
Area of Science:
- Global security studies
- Chemical warfare analysis
- International relations
Background:
- International treaties ban chemical weapon use and storage.
- Despite bans, chemical weapons remain a persistent threat in contemporary conflicts.
- Understanding the characteristics of chemical attacks is crucial for identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify chemical agents used in attacks.
- To define the characteristics of chemical attacks.
- To analyze trends in chemical weapon usage over time.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the international Global Terrorism Database (GTD) dataset.
- Analyzed chemical attacks recorded between 1970 and 2020.
- Recorded data included attack type, success, intent, damage, casualties, and agents used.
Main Results:
- A total of 347 chemical attacks were documented.
- The period 2010-2020 saw the highest frequency with 162 attacks (46.7%).
- Most common agents: acidic substances (11.2%), chlorine gas (9.2%), and tearing agents (6.9%).
Conclusions:
- Chemical attacks have escalated in the last decade.
- Chlorine and mustard gas were predominantly employed in recent attacks.
- Cyanide was notably absent in the last decade's reported attacks.
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