Uploaded May 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Chemical agents can gain entry into the body through two broad anatomical routes: (1) the mucosa of the oral and respiratory tracts and (2) the skin. The icon of chemical warfare—the gas mask— protects the oral and nasal passages (as well as the eyes), while the skin is protected by the overgarment. As noted earlier, total individual protection requires an integrated approach with the primary mechanism being respiratory protection which, when combined with an overgarment, gloves, and boots all properly fitted and used correctly, can provide excellent protection against chemical agents of all known types. The two-layer cotton permeable suit of World War I, its outer layer impregnated with 45 percent rosin and 55 percent rosin oil, reportedly gave almost complete protection against mustard vapor for forty minutes. Even as the war ended, work was still in progress to eliminate the small degree of leakage past the closures and seals of the jacket and shorts. However slight, such leakage might produce serious blister injuries, since the areas of the body most vulnerable to the effects of mustard were the scrotal and neck regions. The superiority of World War II protective clothing over World War I type resulted mainly from an impregnite, a chloroamide designated CC-2. The search in World War I and after for a chemical that would react rapidly with mustard, and which was sufficiently stable on fabric to ensure reasonably good storage qualities, led to the discovery of CC-2 in 1924 and its intermittent manufacture on a pilot plant scale at Edgewood Arsenal. The formula for CC-2 was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Chemical Warfare Service. This is clipped from the 1962 film made by the Army Chemical Corps. The film shows various protective gear developed by the U.S. to protect soldiers and civilians in case of chemical warfare, including protective masks and clothing, as well as gear that helped people remove contaminants from clothing and skin.
Chemical agents can gain entry into the body through two broad anatomical routes: (1) the mucosa of the oral and respiratory tracts and (2) the skin. The icon of chemical warfare—the gas mask— protects the oral and nasal passages (as well as the eyes), while the skin is protected by the overgarment. As noted earlier, total individual protection requires an integrated approach with the primary mechanism being respiratory protection which, when combined with an overgarment, gloves, and boots all properly fitted and used correctly, can provide excellent protection against chemical agents of all known types. The two-layer cotton permeable suit of World War I, its outer layer impregnated with 45 percent rosin and 55 percent rosin oil, reportedly gave almost complete protection against mustard vapor for forty minutes. Even as the war ended, work was still in progress to eliminate the small degree of leakage past the closures and seals of the jacket and shorts. However slight, such leakage might produce serious blister injuries, since the areas of the body most vulnerable to the effects of mustard were the scrotal and neck regions. The superiority of World War II protective clothing over World War I type resulted mainly from an impregnite, a chloroamide designated CC-2. The search in World War I and after for a chemical that would react rapidly with mustard, and which was sufficiently stable on fabric to ensure reasonably good storage qualities, led to the discovery of CC-2 in 1924 and its intermittent manufacture on a pilot plant scale at Edgewood Arsenal. The formula for CC-2 was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Chemical Warfare Service. This is clipped from the 1962 film made by the Army Chemical Corps. The film shows various protective gear developed by the U.S. to protect soldiers and civilians in case of chemical warfare, including protective masks and clothing, as well as gear that helped people remove contaminants from clothing and skin.
