Safety Emporium for all your lab and safety needs

Vertigo

Glossary Index

Viscosity.html

MSDS Topics	Free Sites	FAQ's	Regulations	Glossary	Software	Suppliers
	Books	Forum	Poll	Fun stuff	Quiz	Store
Understand your MSDS with the MS-Demystifier				Search ALL our MSDS info

Vesicant

Definition

• A vesicant is a drug or other agent that produces blisters. Vesicants are highly active corrosive materials even at extremely low concentration.

Additional Info

One of the most familiar examples of a vesicant is called mustard gas, which was used as a chemical warfare agent in World War I and the Iran-Iraq war. Mustard gas is a trivial name for 1,1'-thiobis(2-chloroethane), also known as bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide or HD.



Certain chemically related species are collectively referred to as mustards. These agents can be quite deadly as they have a high solubility in lipids (fatty tissues). Symptoms of exposure to mustard gas include conjunctivitis, blindness, cough, edema of the eyelids, and erythema or necrosis of the skin. When inhaled, this can severely and irreparably damage the respiratory tract. And to add extra insult to injury, mustard gas is also a carcinogen. Vesicants have other uses besides chemical warfare; in these cases the vesicating properties are an undesirable/unwanted side effect or symptom. For example, some chemotherapy drugs are mild vesicants as are a variety of industrial useful chemical intermediates.

PAPR's available at Safety Emporium protects the user from nuclear, biological and chemical agents.

MSDS Relevance

The MSDS should warn if the material is a vesicant. Avoid the use of vesicants if at all possible. If a vesicant must be used, do so with appropriate controls such as a fume hood to minimize exposure and be certain to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles, face masks, respirators, aprons, gloves etc. Do not rely on odor to warn you of possible exposure, vesicants can produce harmful effects at concentrations below the odor threshold.

Further Reading

• The Chemistry of Mustard Gas at Noblis.
• Vesicant/Blister Agent Poisoning at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• ILPI's page on Chemical Preparedness and Response.
• Chemical Terrorism Update: Vesicants at Emergency Medicine.
• Injection Site Reactions from vesicants and irritants at Chemocare.com

See also: lachrymator, poison, toxic.

Additional definitions from Google and OneLook.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is believed to be true and accurate, however ILPI makes no guarantees concerning the veracity of any statement. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. ILPI strongly encourages the reader to consult the appropriate local, state and federal agencies concerning the matters discussed herein.