Blood Agents Throughout HistoryThe use of chemical weapons in warfare has been used since the dawn of time. The first use of chemical warfare dates back to 600 BC, when Greek soldiers poisoned their enemies' water reservoirs. In 423 BC, Spartan soldiers used sulfur to attack Greece. Later, in 673 CE, the Greek navy was infamous for using burning chemicals on the high seas, creating a floating firewall allowing them to gain maneuvering superiority. The use of chemical warfare continued throughout the Middle Ages, where the Mongol army used catapults to launch burning sulfur at their enemies. Chemical warfare became a weapon of mass destruction during World War I; during the war, over a million casualties were reported and over 90,000 were killed (Fitzgerald, 2008). Since World War I, chemical weapons have been used on battlefields, most notably in the Iraq-Iran War in 1980. World powers have realized that chemical warfare, although it offers a huge advantage over the battlefield, also comes with years of side effects. and could become an immense financial burden.Types of Chemical AgentsThe Center for Disease Control (CDC) has classified the most commonly used types of chemical agents. The CDC also serves as a repository of information for the civilian population to understand the effects, symptoms, and treatment of each chemical agent. The CDC has classified chemical agents into the following categories or types: biotoxins, blistering/blistering agents, blood agents, caustics (acids), choking/pulmonary agents, incapacitating agents, long-acting anticoagulants, metals, nerve agents, solvents organics, riot control agents/tear gas, toxic alcohols and vomiting agents (CDC, ...... middle of paper ...... clandestine program detection #toc274184 Terrorist Agent (2014). BLOOD AGENTS. Retrieved on May 18, 2014 at http://www.sjcphs.org/healthcare_providers/Documents/05%20Terrorism%20Agents/27%20Blood%20Agents.pdf Walberg, MA (March 12, 2002). CTA tunnel. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved May 19, 2012 from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-03-12/news/0203120291_1_cyanide-dr-chaos-tunnelOrganization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. (2014). Retrieved May 16, 2014 from http://www.opcw.org/about-chemical-weapons/types-of-chemical-agent/blood-agents/hydrogen-cyanide/Fitzgerald. GJ (2008, July). Chemical warfare and medical response during World War I. Medical Central Publishing. Accessed July 2008 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376985/