New Delhi: The modern use of chemical weapons began with World War I. Such weapons basically consisted of well known commercial chemicals put into standard munitions such as grenades and artillery shells.
Nearly 100,000 deaths resulted. Since World War I, chemical weapons have caused more than one million casualties globally.
Here are some facts to know about these weapons of mass destruction:
1. The Chemical Weapons Convention (the international treaty that bans chemical weapons) applies the term to any toxic chemical or its precursor that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action.
