The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a chemical emergency as occurring “when a hazardous chemical has been released and the release has the potential for harming people’s health. Chemical releases can be unintentional, as in the case of an industrial accident, or intentional, as in the case of a terrorist attack.
Some chemical agents are manmade and some can be found in nature. Many hazardous chemical agents are used in industry, while others have been developed specifically for military use in warfare, such as sarin and sulfur mustards.
- Sulfur Mustard
For general information on protecting yourself in the event of a chemical emergency, please click on these links to CDC fact sheets: