Detailed Explanation | Is White Phosphorus Banned?

You must be curious about what kind of weapon white phosphorus is and what its purpose is. Is white phosphorus banned? In the past two years, illegal use of white phosphorus has been reported in military operations by Israel, the US military, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and other countries The bounce section appears more frequently. It is on this basis that many people include white phosphorus bombs in the category of prohibited weapons. Today, we’ll take a look at what white phosphorus is, how powerful it is, and why its use is banned.

What is white phosphorus?

Existing in three forms or allotropes, phosphorus is mainly in white, red, and black. Among them, the most active one is white phosphorus, since it consists of four phosphorus atoms arranged in a tetrahedral molecule. Compared with other elements, white phosphorus is extremely flammable and poisonous. Combined with the above characteristics, white phosphorus also can be used to make important military applications.

For example, it can be used as incendiary weapons, as flares to illuminate the positions of the enemy, as smoke screens, and so on. When it is used as a smoke bomb, it can conceal troop move movement by its thick smoke. Besides, when white phosphorus burns in the air, it can produce phosphorus pentoxide which is extremely hygroscopic and it can absorb moisture from the air to form phosphoric acid droplets in a short time.

How powerful is white phosphorus?

For one thing, white phosphorus was originally used in things like smoke bombs, primarily to create smoke or mark targets. However, this smoke bomb has side effects. The combustion effect is obvious, the temperature is high and the ignition point is low during combustion. More importantly, its ignition point is only 34 degrees and it sticks to the human body. That's part of the reason why white phosphorus is banned to some extent.

On the other hand, people always confuse white phosphorus bombs with incendiary weapons and chemical weapons. This is the so-called violation of white phosphorus bombs. Recently, the use of white phosphorus bombs has been controversial. Is white phosphorus banned outright, or is it prohibited from being used as a weapon in warfare?

Under Protocol III to the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the use of incendiary weapons is restricted, particularly against civilian targets, and their use against military targets in civilian areas is prohibited. The protocol is very clear that incendiary weapons can be used, but not against civilians, whose main purpose is to protect civilians.

Why is white phosphorus banned by the International Convention?

Firstly, white phosphorus is extremely chemically active and toxic. The ignition point of white phosphorus is only 34 degrees. Because of its low ignition point, white phosphorus is easy to spontaneously combust when exposed to air. Therefore, in the laboratory, even a small amount of white phosphorus must be stored in glass bottles, which is filled with water, to make it cool and isolate the air. It can be fully burned in a small space, and the temperature can reach more than 1000 degrees, that is enough to eliminate all organisms within the effective range. Besides, white phosphorus is also highly toxic. For instance, a toxic dose is 15mg and a lethal dose is 50mg. If an adult swallows 0.06 grams of white phosphorus, he or she will die.

Secondly, since white phosphorus can generate heavy smoke and react violently when it burns, it can be used to make smoke bombs and incendiary bombs. When a white phosphorus bomb burns, it generates a lot of white smoke, which is phosphorus pentoxide. It's phosphorus pentoxide that can cause serious burns to the eyes, skin, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract. At the same time, the smoke can block the line of sight, so that the infrared can not locate it, so it can be used as a smoke bomb.

Next, not only the bombs but also the smoke from burning do harm to humans and the environment. The burning smoke contains phosphorus oxide, which may irritate and damage the respiratory system, causing coughing and chest pain.

Above all, due to its high toxicity, white phosphorus is regarded as an inhuman and cruel weapon, so it is not allowed to be used against civilians.

Conclusion

White phosphorus bombs are extremely dangerous weapons that can cause serious physical and psychological harm, and even lead to death and environmental pollution. Is white phosphorus banned? There is a good answer to this question. Any country should abide by international law and not use inhumane weapons.