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Chemical Categories

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Scientists often categorize hazardous chemicals by the type of chemical or by the effects a chemical would have on people exposed to it. The categories/types used by CDC are as follows:

• Biotoxins
• Blister Agents/Vesicants
• Blood Agents
• Caustics (Acids)
• Choking/Lung/Pulmonary Agents
• Incapacitating Agents
• Long-Acting Anticoagulants
• Metals
• Nerve Agents
• Organic Solvents
• Riot Control Agents/Tear Gas
• Toxic Alcohols
• Vomiting Agents

• Biotoxins

• Poisons that come from plants or animals
     

• Abrin

• Brevetoxin

• Colchicine

• Digitalis

• Nicotine

• Ricin

• Saxitoxin

• Strychnine

• Tetrodotoxin

• Trichothecene

• Blister Agents/Vesicants

• Chemicals that severely blister the eyes, respiratory tract, and skin on contact
     

• Mustards

• Distilled mustard (HD)

• Mustard gas (H) (sulfur mustard)

• Mustard/lewisite (HL)

• Mustard/T

• Nitrogen mustard (HN-1, HN-2, HN-3)

• Sesqui mustard

• Sulfur mustard (H) (mustard gas)

• Lewisites/chloroarsine agents

• Lewisite (L, L-1, L-2, L-3)

• Mustard/lewisite (HL)

• Phosgene oxime (CX)

• Blood Agents

• Poisons that affect the body by being absorbed into the blood
     

• Arsine (SA)

• Carbon Monoxide

• Cyanide

• Cyanogen chloride (CK)

• Hydrogen cyanide (AC)

• Potassium cyanide (KCN)

• Sodium cyanide (NaCN)

• Sodium monofluoroacetate (compound 1080)

• Caustics (Acids)

• Chemicals that burn or corrode people's skin, eyes, and mucus membranes (lining of the nose, mouth, throat, and lungs) on contact
     

• Hydrofluoric acid (hydrogen fluoride)

• Choking/Lung/Pulmonary Agents

• Chemicals that cause severe irritation or swelling of the respiratory tract (lining of the nose, throat, and lungs)
     

• Ammonia

• Bromine (CA)

• Chlorine (CL)

• Hydrogen chloride

• Methyl bromide

• Methyl isocyanate

• Osmium tetroxide

• Phosgene

• Diphosgene (DP)

• Phosgene (CG)

• Phosphine

• Phosphorus, elemental, white or yellow

• Sulfuryl fluoride

• Incapacitating Agents

• Drugs that make people unable to think clearly or that cause an altered state of consciousness (possibly unconsciousness)
     

• BZ

• Fentanyls & other opioids

• Long-Acting Anticoagulants

• Poisons that prevent blood from clotting properly, which can lead to uncontrolled bleeding
     

• Super warfarin

• Metals

• Agents that consist of metallic poisons
     

• Arsenic

• Barium

• Mercury

• Thallium

• Nerve Agents

• Highly poisonous chemicals that work by preventing the nervous system from working properly
     

• G agents

• Sarin (GB)

• Soman (GD)

• Tabun (GA)

• V agents

• VX

• Organic Solvents

• Agents that damage the tissues of living things by dissolving fats and oils
     

• Benzene

• Riot Control Agents/Tear Gas

• Highly irritating agents normally used by law enforcement for crowd control or by individuals for protection (for example, mace)
     

• Bromobenzylcyanide (CA)

• Chloroacetophenone (CN)

• Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS)

• Chloropicrin (PS)

• Dibenzoxazepine (CR)

• Toxic Alcohols

• Poisonous alcohols that can damage the heart, kidneys, and nervous system
     

• Ethylene glycol

• Vomiting Agents

• Chemicals that cause nausea and vomiting
     

• Adamsite (DM)

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