Why is it in the news?
- United States has accused Russia of employing the chemical agent ‘Chloropicrin’ in Ukraine.
Chloropicrin
About:
- Chloropicrin is a broad-spectrum fumigant chemical that has various applications, including as an antimicrobial, fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, and nematicide.
- It was first used as a poison gas in the First World War by both Allied and Central Powers.
- Chloropicrin is a colourless to yellow oily liquid.
- It is highly volatile and exists as a gas at room temperature.
- Exposure to chloropicrin can cause severe irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract, and it can induce vomiting and other adverse effects.
| Chemical Weapons Regulation
· The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), administered by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), entered into force in 1997. · The CWC prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and monitors their elimination to achieve a chemical weapons-free world. · India is a signatory and party to the CWC and has enacted the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000. · The Geneva Protocol of 1925 also prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons in the field of conflict. Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) · The OPCW is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention. · Its mission is to achieve a world free of chemical weapons by implementing the provisions of the CWC. · It has 193 member states, including India. · The OPCW was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.
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