The
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC, formally the 1993 Paris Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction) was opened for signature in Paris, France on 13 January 1993. The CWC was negotiated over the course of twenty years at the Conference of Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland. The CWC entered into force on 29 April 1997, 180 days after the 65th member state ratified the convention.
The Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the international organization set up in the Hague to implement the provisions of the CWC. In the United States, the Department of State, Bureau of Arms Control and the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Export Administration are jointly responsible for implementing enabling legislation in the US (the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act of 1998, enacted in Division I of Public Law 105-277). They have a web site at http://www.cwc.gov/ .
Selected Definitions from the CWC
Toxic Chemicals
"Any chemical which through its chemical action on life processes can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals. This includes all such chemicals, regardless of their origin or of their method of production, and regardless of whether they are produced in facilities, in munitions or elsewhere."
Riot Control Agent
"Any chemical not listed in a Schedule, which can produce rapidly in humans sensory irritation or disabling physical effects which disappear within a short time following termination of exposure."
Precursor
"Any chemical reactant which takes part at any stage in the production by whatever method of a toxic chemical. This includes any key component of a binary or multicomponent chemical system. (For the purpose of implementing this Convention, precursors which have been identified for the application of verification measures are listed in Schedules contained in the Annex on Chemicals.)"
Chemical Weapons
"(a) Toxic chemicals and their precursors, except where intended for purposes not prohibited under this Convention, as long as the types and quantities are consistent with such purposes;
(b) Munitions and devices, specifically designed to cause death or other harm through the toxic properties of those toxic chemicals specified in subparagraph (a), which would be released as a result of the employment of such munitions and devices;
(c) Any equipment specifically designed for use directly in connection with the employment of munitions and devices specified in subparagraph (b)."
Schedule 1
The following criteria were used to determine whether a toxic chemical or precursor should be listed in Schedule 1:
- It has been developed, produced, stockpiled or used as a chemical weapon as defined in Article II of the CWC;
- It poses otherwise a high risk to the object and purpose of the CWC by virtue of its high potential for use in activities prohibited under the CWC because one or more of the following conditions are met:
- It possesses a chemical structure closely related to that of other toxic chemicals listed in Schedule 1, and has, or can be expected to have, comparable properties;
- It possesses such lethal or incapacitating toxicity as well as other properties that would enable it to be used as a chemical weapon;
- It may be used as a precursor in the final single technological stage of production of a toxic chemical listed in Schedule 1, regardless of whether this stage takes place in facilities, in binary munitions, or elsewhere;
- It has little or no use for purposes not prohibited under the CWC.
| A. |
Toxic chemicals |
|
CAS registry number |
|
(1) |
O-Alkyl ( <C10, incl. cycloalkyl) alkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr)-phosphonofluoridates |
|
|
|
|
e.g. Sarin: O-Isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate |
|
107-44-8 |
|
|
Soman: O-Pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate |
 |
96-64-0 |
|
(2) |
O-Alkyl (<C10, incl. cycloalkyl) N,N-dialkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) phosphoramidocyanidates |
|
|
|
|
e.g. Tabun: O-Ethyl N,N-dimethyl phosphoramidocyanidate |
 |
77-81-6 |
|
(3) |
O-Alkyl (H or <C10, incl. cycloalkyl) S-2-dialkyl(Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr)-aminoethyl alkyl(Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) phosphonothiolates and corresponding alkylated or protonated salts |
|
|
|
|
e.g. VX: O-Ethyl S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methyl phosphonothiolate |
 |
50782-69-9 |
|
(4) |
Sulfur mustards: |
|
|
|
|
2-Chloroethylchloromethylsulfide |
 |
2625-76-5 |
|
|
Mustard gas: Bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide |
 |
505-60-2 |
|
|
Bis(2-chloroethylthio)methane |
 |
63869-13-6 |
|
|
Sesquimustard: 1,2-Bis(2-chloroethylthio)ethane |
 |
3563-36-8 |
|
|
1,3-Bis(2-chloroethylthio)-n-propane |
 |
63905-10-2 |
|
|
1,4-Bis(2-chloroethylthio)-n-butane |
 |
142868-93-7 |
|
|
1,5-Bis(2-chloroethylthio)-n-pentane |
 |
142868-94-8 |
|
|
Bis(2-chloroethylthiomethyl)ether |
 |
63918-90-1 |
|
|
O-Mustard: Bis(2-chloroethylthioethyl)ether |
 |
63918-89-8 |
|
(5) |
Lewisites: |
|
|
|
|
Lewisite 1: 2-Chlorovinyldichloroarsine |
 |
541-25-3 |
|
|
Lewisite 2: Bis(2-chlorovinyl)chloroarsine |
 |
40334-69-8 |
|
|
Lewisite 3: Tris(2-chlorovinyl)arsine |
 |
40334-70-1 |
|
(6) |
Nitrogen mustards: |
|
|
|
|
HN1: Bis(2-chloroethyl)ethylamine |
 |
538-07-8 |
| |
|
HN2: Bis(2-chloroethyl)methylamine |
 |
51-75-2 |
| |
|
HN3: Tris(2-chloroethyl)amine |
 |
555-77-1 |
|
(7) |
Saxitoxin |
 |
35523-89-8 |
|
(8) |
Ricin |
|
9009-86-3 |
| B. |
Precursors: |
|
|
|
(9) |
Alkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) phosphonyldifluorides |
|
|
|
|
e.g. DF: Methylphosphonyldifluoride |
 |
676-99-3 |
|
(10) |
O-Alkyl (H or <C10, incl. cycloalkyl) O-2-dialkyl(Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr)-aminoethyl alkyl(Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) phosphonites and corresponding alkylated or protonated salts |
|
|
|
|
e.g. QL: O-Ethyl O-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonite |
 |
57856-11-8 |
|
(11) |
Chlorosarin: O-Isopropyl methylphosphonochloridate |
 |
1445-76-7 |
|
(12) |
Chlorosoman: O-Pinacolyl methylphosphonochloridate |
 |
7040-57-5 |
Schedule 2
The following criteria were used to determine whether a toxic chemical or a precursor should be listed in Schedule 2:
- It poses a significant risk to the object and purpose of the CWC because it possesses such lethal or incapacitating toxicity as well as other properties that could enable it to be used as a chemical weapon;
- It may be used as a precursor in one of the chemical reactions at the final stage of formation of a chemical listed in Schedule 1 or Schedule 2, part A;
- It poses a significant risk to the object and purpose of the CWC by virtue of its importance in the production of a chemical listed in Schedule 1 or Schedule 2, part A;
- It is not produced in large commercial quantities for purposes not prohibited under thisthe CWC.
|
A. |
Toxic chemicals: |
|
CAS registry number |
|
(1) |
Amiton: O,O-Diethyl S-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl] phosphorothiolate and corresponding alkylated or protonated salts |
 |
78-53-5 |
|
(2) |
PFIB: 1,1,3,3,3-Pentafluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-1-propene |
 |
382-21-8 |
|
(3) |
BZ: 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate (*) |
 |
6581-06-2 |
|
B. |
Precursors: |
|
|
|
(4) |
Chemicals, except for those listed in Schedule 1, containing a phosphorus atom to which is bonded one methyl, ethyl or propyl (normal or iso) group but not further carbon atoms |
|
|
|
|
e.g. Methylphosphonyl dichloride |
 |
676-97-1 |
|
|
Dimethyl methylphosphonate |
 |
756-79-6 |
|
|
Exemption: Fonofos: O-Ethyl S-phenyl ethylphosphonothiolothionate |
 |
944-22-9 |
|
(5) |
N,N-Dialkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) phosphoramidic dihalides |
 |
|
|
(6) |
Dialkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) N,N-dialkyl(Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr)-phosphoramidates |
 |
|
|
(7) |
Arsenic trichloride |
 |
7784-34-1 |
|
(8) |
2,2-Diphenyl-2-hydroxyacetic acid |
 |
76-93-7 |
|
(9) |
Quinuclidin-3-ol |
 |
1619-34-7 |
|
(10) |
N,N-Dialkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) aminoethyl-2-chlorides and corresponding protonated salts |
 |
|
|
(11) |
N,N-Dialkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) aminoethane-2-ols and corresponding protonated salts |
 |
|
|
|
Exemptions: N,N-Dimethylaminoethanol and corresponding protonated salts |
R-=CH 3- |
108-01-0 |
|
|
N,N-Diethylaminoethanol and corresponding protonated salts |
R-=CH 3CH 2- |
100-37-8 |
|
(12) |
N,N-Dialkyl (Me, Et, n-Pr or i-Pr) aminoethane-2-thiols and corresponding protonated salts |
 |
|
|
(13) |
Thiodiglycol: Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)sulfide |
 |
111-48-8 |
|
(14) |
Pinacolyl alcohol: 3,3-Dimethylbutan-2-ol |
 |
464-07-3 |
Schedule 3
The following criteria were used to eterminewhether a toxic chemical or precursor should be listed in Schedule 3:
- It has been produced, stockpiled or used as a chemical weapon;
- It poses otherwise a risk to the object and purpose of the CWC because it possesses such lethal or incapacitating toxicity as well as other properties that might enable it to be used as a chemical weapon;
- It poses a risk to the object and purpose of the CWC by virtue of its importance in the production of one or more chemicals listed in Schedule 1 or Schedule 2, part B;
- It may be produced in large commercial quantities for purposes not prohibited under the CWC.
|
A |
Toxic chemicals: |
|
CAS registry number |
|
(1) |
Phosgene: Carbonyl dichloride |
 |
75-44-5 |
|
(2) |
Cyanogen chloride |
 |
506-77-4 |
|
(3) |
Hydrogen cyanide |
 |
74-90-8 |
|
(4) |
Chloropicrin: Trichloronitromethane |
 |
76-06-2 |
|
B. |
Precursors: |
|
|
|
(5) |
Phosphorus oxychloride |
 |
10025-87-3 |
|
(6) |
Phosphorus trichloride |
 |
7719-12-2 |
|
(7) |
Phosphorus pentachloride |
 |
10026-13-8 |
|
(8) |
Trimethyl phosphite |
 |
121-45-9 |
|
(9) |
Triethyl phosphite |
 |
122-52-1 |
|
(10) |
Dimethyl phosphite |
 |
868-85-9 |
|
(11) |
Diethyl phosphite |
 |
762-04-9 |
|
(12) |
Sulfur monochloride |
 |
10025-67-9 |
|
(13) |
Sulfur dichloride |
 |
10545-99-0 |
|
(14) |
Thionyl chloride |
 |
7719-09-7 |
|
(15) |
Ethyldiethanolamine |
 |
139-87-7 |
|
(16) |
Methyldiethanolamine |
 |
105-59-9 |
|
(17) |
Triethanolamine |
 |
102-71-6 |