Arsenic and Old Mustard: Chemical Problems in the Destruction of Old Arsenical and `Mustard' Munitions

More than ten million `poison gas'' shells, mortar bombs, etc., lie hidden in Europe, many of them relics from World War I. Some were fired and failed to detonate, others were abandoned in old ammunition dumps. Most retain their load of chemical warfare (CW) agents. They are turned up daily in the course of farming and construction. Many European nations have permanent departments concerned w...