According to American Public Health Association, the deployment of new war gases like chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas during World War I created a public health threat, affecting both soldiers on the battlefield and chemical workers on the home front. Chemical warefare resulted in 1.3 million casualties and significant psychological damages. Focused on winning the war with new access to chemcicals that may very well help in doing so, the basic human right to safety and life for soldiers was ignored. 

Photo: How Gas Became A Terror Weapon In The First World War | IWM

Event:  Chemical Warfare and Medical Response During World War I | AJPH | Vol. 98 Issue 4