Jessica Epstein, in her paper on chemistry and weapons of mass destruction, does an excellent job of introducing students to this field, and addresses the discomfort that some, if not many, students may feel about this subject (1). Our Featured Molecules for this month come from Epstein’s paper and also from additional sources dealing with molecules and warfare (2). These molecules include substances used at various times in the 20th and 21st centuries, including mustard gas, several V-agents, mace, phosgene, and lewisite (Figure 1).
Students who pursue some of the questions in ref 1 might be quite surprised to learn how mundane some of these substances are, and how closely related they are to chemical species in common use for nonlethal purposes. Students in organic chemistry might explore the range of occurrence and application of organic phosphonates, phosphates, and phosphate esters, groups that include a number of chemical warfare agents such as sarin and other G-agents, as well and VX and the other V-agents (2).
It is crucial that students of the sciences be exposed to the major ethical issues faced by their scientific discipline. We have long since passed the time when it is acceptable to say that science is done in a value-free vacuum and that scientists bear little or no responsibility for the consequences of their work. One way to do this would be to introduce chemistry students to the intersection between molecules and the law—in this case, international treaties on chemical weapons. A starting point would be to have students read the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 (3) and then try to decide whether a particular chemical falls under the purview of that Convention. Why has it been difficult to classify white phosphorous? Would they classify it as a chemical weapon and ban its use under the Convention? This might present a good opportunity to invite a colleague from a Political Science or International Relations Department, or a Law School, to present a talk on such international agreements. Perhaps a special topics course could be designed to cover the very broad topic of molecules and regulation, and might be team taught and attract students from a range of disciplines.
Another area of possible discussion would be environmental warfare agents, and the short- and long-term effects of chemical cocktails such as Agent Orange on both the natural environment and people living in that environment. This would be an appropriate opportunity to discuss alternative approaches to insect and plant control.
As chemical educators we might well ask ourselves: where will students learn about the social and ethical issues related to chemistry, if not from us?
mustard gas nerve agent VX mace lewisite
Figure 1. Mustard gas, VX, mace, and lewisite are chemical weapons that have been used at various times in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Wikipedia has a series of articles on the subject of Chemical Warfare that provides a good starting point for further exploration into the topic (accessed Oct 2009).
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mustard gas
nerve agent VX
mace
lewisite
