541-25-3 Usage
Description
Lewisite, also known as "Dew of Death," is a chemical warfare agent first synthesized by Dr. Wilford Lee Lewis in 1918. It is an arsenical vesicant/blister agent that causes severe skin and respiratory damage. Lewisite is a colorless liquid when pure, with a geranium-like odor, and is much more volatile than mustard agents. It is insoluble in water and has a specific gravity that makes it heavier than water. Lewisite has a low level of flammability, with no flash point or flammable range identified.
Uses
Used in Chemical Warfare:
Lewisite is used as a vesicant chemical warfare agent for its ability to cause severe skin and respiratory damage. It is often mixed with mustard agents to lower the boiling point of the mixture, creating a more effective weapon. The military designation for the mustard/lewisite mixture is (HL).
Physical properties and chemical properties:
Lewisite is also a systemic poison, which can result in pulmonary edema, diarrhea, restlessness, weakness, subnormal temperature, and low blood pressure. Severity of symptoms, in order of appearance, are blister agent, toxic lung irritant, tissue absorption, and systemic poison. If inhaled in high enough concentrations, lewisite can cause death in as little as 10 minutes. Common routes of exposure into the body are through the eyes, skin, and inhalation. Impurities in lewisite can lead to colors ranging from violet to brown, and it is decomposed by water and alkalies. The antidote for lewisite is dimercaptopropanol.
Hazard
Vesicant gas, a poison. See arsenic.
Pharmaceutical Applications
Lewisite is an arsenic-based chemical warfare agent used in form of a blister gas. Further research
showed that it can be used as an antidote against a variety of toxic metals. Additionally, it was used in the
treatment of Wilson disease, which is a chronic disease in which the body retains excess amounts of copper.
Heavy-metal poisoning often results from the coordination of the metal to sulfhydryl groups of enzymes,
which means that these enzymes are blocked for their activity. BAL also contains sulfhydryl groups and
basically competes with the enzymes for the coordination of the metal. The chelated complex is then excreted
in the urine. Whilst BAL removes a range of heavy metals, it also seems to increase the concentration of some
metals in the human body and therefore limits its use. It is not indicated as an antidote for cadmium (increased
levels are found in the kidneys after treatment), selenium or iron poisoning.
Safety Profile
A human poison by
inhalation. Poison experimentally by
inhalation, skin contact, subcutaneous,
intraperitoneal, and intravenous routes. An
Toxicity evaluation
The exact mechanism of lewisite toxicity is not very well
understood. It is hypothesized that the trivalent arsenic in
lewisite combines with the thiol groups in many enzymes,
leading to toxicity. It is easily absorbed by the skin, eyes, and
respiratory tract; lewisite can also enter the body through
ingestion of contaminated material. Areas that come into
direct contact with this agent, such as the skin and mucous
membranes, will form blisters. Once absorbed into the body,
lewisite causes an increase in capillary permeability, which can
induce hypovolemia, shock, and organ damage. This reaction
is known as ‘lewisite shock.’ In contrast to the mustard agents,
lewisite vapor or liquid causes immediate pain or irritation,
although the full effects of exposure are not observed until up
to 18-h following exposure.
Check Digit Verification of cas no
The CAS Registry Mumber 541-25-3 includes 6 digits separated into 3 groups by hyphens. The first part of the number,starting from the left, has 3 digits, 5,4 and 1 respectively; the second part has 2 digits, 2 and 5 respectively.
Calculate Digit Verification of CAS Registry Number 541-25:
(5*5)+(4*4)+(3*1)+(2*2)+(1*5)=53
53 % 10 = 3
So 541-25-3 is a valid CAS Registry Number.
InChI:InChI=1/C2H2AsCl3/c4-2-1-3(5)6/h1-2H/b2-1+
541-25-3Relevant articles and documents
A METHOD FOR NEUTRALIZATION OF TOXIN AGENTS, PESTICIDES AND THEIR HYDROLYSATES, AND A REAGENT FOR IT
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Page 8, (2008/06/13)
This invention relates to the technology of ecotoxicants treatment, mainly chemical weapons (toxin agents), pesticides, hydrolysis products of toxin agents and pesticides. The method provides destruction of toxin agents, pesticides or their hydrolysates with further biodegradation of received products and can used for a wide range of ecotoxicants. The method can also be applied for cleaning of soils and objects contaminated with toxin agents and pesticides. In the claimed embodiments of the method, an amino acid reagent is used as a reagent for chemical neutralization of toxin agents, pesticides or their hydrolysates. Neutralization of ecotoxicants toxicity is carried out by application of a reagent containing an amino acid or a mixture of amino acids or peptides or derivatives of amino acids and peptides or their mixture in aqueous or aqueous organic medium. As the reagent hydrolysis products of protein containing factory waste can also be applied.
