Outdoor Chemical Dispersion Consequence Model Fact Sheet

Releasing chemicals outdoors as inhalation hazards was first demonstrated on a large-scale in World War I when forces on both sides used chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas as offensive weapons resulting in both physical and psychological hazards to even the most highly trained troops. Although successful terrorist use of chemical weapons in an outdoor setting has been rare, it has the potential to cause large impacts, necessitating the need for outdoor release scenarios to be modeled and understood.