Sulfur mustard (mustard gas) in your home: a safety profile
Extreme risk for your home from breathing it inNot medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →
Inhalation at warfare concentrations is associated with severe damage to the respiratory tract — laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, pseudomembrane formation, and pulmonary edema. Long-term epidemiology of WWI veterans exposed to mustard gas shows significantly elevated rates of lung, pharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers. Iranian veterans of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War (where Iraq deployed mustard gas against Iranian troops and Kurdish civilians) have provided modern epidemiological data: elevated lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and immune dysfunction. At site remediation and demilitarization operations, the dominant concern is inhalation of vapor from intact or corroding munitions. Full SCBA and chemical-protective suits required.
What is sulfur mustard (mustard gas)?
The IUPAC name is 1-chloro-2-(2-chloroethylsulfanyl)ethane.
Also known as: 1-chloro-2-(2-chloroethylsulfanyl)ethane, Mustard gas, Sulfur mustard, Yperite.
- IUPAC name
- 1-chloro-2-(2-chloroethylsulfanyl)ethane
- CAS number
- 505-60-2
- Molecular formula
- C4H8Cl2S
- Molecular weight
- 159.08 g/mol
- SMILES
- C(CCl)SCCCl
- PubChem CID
- 10461
Risk for your household from breathing it in
Extreme riskInhalation at warfare concentrations is associated with severe damage to the respiratory tract — laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, pseudomembrane formation, and pulmonary edema. Long-term epidemiology of WWI veterans exposed to mustard gas shows significantly elevated rates of lung, pharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers. Iranian veterans of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War (where Iraq deployed mustard gas against Iranian troops and Kurdish civilians) have provided modern epidemiological data: elevated lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and immune dysfunction. At site remediation and demilitarization operations, the dominant concern is inhalation of vapor from intact or corroding munitions. Full SCBA and chemical-protective suits required.
Regulatory consensus
5 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Sulfur mustard (mustard gas). The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IARC | 1987 | Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) | IARC Supplement 7 (1987), originally Monograph 9 (1975). Sufficient evidence in humans (lung cancer, pharyngeal/laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer in WWI and WWII veterans with mustard gas exposure) and animals. A bifunctional alkylating agent forming DNA intrastrand and interstrand cross-links; also a potent vesicant causing severe tissue injury independent of carcinogenicity. |
| EPA CTX / NTP RoC | — | Known Human Carcinogen | |
| EPA CTX / IARC | — | Group 1 - Carcinogenic to humans | |
| EPA CTX / CalEPA | — | Listed by California as known to the State to cause cancer (Proposition 65) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 10 positive / 0 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 10 positive / 0 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Category 1 (score: very high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Category 1 (score: very high) |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where your home encounter sulfur mustard (mustard gas)
- Outdoor Air — Vehicle exhaust, Industrial emissions, Power plant discharge
- Indoor Air — Combustion byproducts, Office buildings, Parking garages
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Sulfur mustard (mustard gas):
-
Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.Relative cost: 2-5×
Frequently asked questions
Is sulfur mustard (mustard gas) safe for your home?
Inhalation at warfare concentrations is associated with severe damage to the respiratory tract — laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, pseudomembrane formation, and pulmonary edema. Long-term epidemiology of WWI veterans exposed to mustard gas shows significantly elevated rates of lung, pharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers. Iranian veterans of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War (where Iraq deployed mustard gas against Iranian troops and Kurdish civilians) have provided modern epidemiological data: elevated lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and immune dysfunction. At site remediation and demilitarization operations, the dominant concern is inhalation of vapor from intact or corroding munitions. Full SCBA and chemical-protective suits required.
What products contain sulfur mustard (mustard gas)?
Sulfur mustard (mustard gas) appears in: Vehicle exhaust (Outdoor air); Industrial emissions (Outdoor air); Combustion byproducts (Indoor air); Office buildings (Indoor air).
Why do regulators disagree about sulfur mustard (mustard gas)?
Sulfur mustard (mustard gas) has been classified by 5 agencies including IARC, EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / CalEPA, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Sulfur mustard (mustard gas) in the home app
Look up products containing sulfur mustard (mustard gas), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in home View raw API dataSources (3)
- IARC Monographs Volume 100F: Sulfur Mustard — Chemical Agents and Related Occupations (2012 evaluation; supersedes Vol 9 / Supplement 7, 1987) (2012) — regulatory
- US EPA: Chemical Warfare Agents (blister agents incl. Sulfur Mustard) — emergency response hub — regulatory
- ATSDR Medical Management Guidelines for Blister Agents: Sulfur Mustard Agent H/HD, Sulfur Mustard Agent HT (2011) — report
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →