Germany In The Early 1920s, Analysis Of Zyklon (Essay Sample)

ANALYSIS OF ZYKLON B
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Background Information
Zyklon B was a name given to a pesticide that was cyanide-based poisonous gas and pesticide produced in Germany in the early 1920s; it is translated to English as Cyclone B. The gas was made up of pure hydrogen cyanide and an eye irritant and prussic acid which make up the toxicity of the gas. The German soldiers used it, the Nazis, as a bio-weapon against its enemies and prisoners of war after a series of research that was done at Degesch. Initially, the gas hydrogen cyanide was used in the 1980s as a pesticide in California. It was used by California farmers to fumigate citrus fruits before spreading to other countries. The Germans however further developed the gas the gas into Zyklon which produced hydrogen cyanide when exposed to heat and water (Browning et al., 2004).
German Gold and Silver Refinery took ownership of the gas, and in 1922 Bruno Tech and Heerdt Walter and other scientists came up with a technique of packing the gas with an eye irritant in cans the new product was later renamed as Zyklon B to make a distinction of it from the initial version. Due to its swift dispersal and lightweight Germans used this to their advantage. The Nazis under commander Hoss built the first gas chambers at Auschwitz in 1942 and used the gas to kill prisoners as test subjects the second chamber was constructed and held more than 1200 prisoners. These chambers of mass killings not only done at the two places but also at other extermination camps across Germany were operational till early 1943. Walter Heerdt was after that named as the inventor of Zyklon B. The two were tried in a British court and were sentenced to death in 1946 for intentionally selling a product to the Nazi to be used on humans that led to mass killing of people. The Nazis used this product in enemy camps throughout the Holacaust in which over one million people lost their lives using this technique especially at camps in Auschwitz. Hoss Rudolf, 1941, said that use of Zyklon B to execute convicts and enemies was brought about by a member of his subordinate. The gas is rarely used today and also seldom produced since it has adverse effects if used for an unintended purpose or mishandled (Browning et al., 2004)
Mechanism of action.
Since the gas is poisonous, it inhibits cellular respiration and thus preventing the cells from manufacturing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through attaching itself to the proteins that are vital in the transportation of water, food and mineral salts. Since proteins contain many other iron groups, the Zyklon B may also bind to the iron groups resulting to a more stable compound caused by the ligand to metal bonding. The new compound formed from the two elements prevents the electrons from situating themselves hence the heme group does not receive them anymore. Transport is thereby stopped, and the cells cannot produce energy which is required to manufacture ATP. The process occurs so fast that death happens within less than 120 seconds of inhaling 65mg of the Zyklon B gas (Christianson et al., 2010).
Effects of Zyklon B.
Zyklon B has one significant disadvantage since it is made up hydrogen cyanide which is a very toxic acid, it causes loss of lives if used either unintentionally or intentionally for mass loss of lives in the hands of terrorists or individuals driven by the desire to harm others. Bruno Tesch, Walter Heerdt and other German scientist used the gas intentionally to kill soldiers in camps and prisoners in gas chambers. This resulted in other countries to seek justice and their execution in 1946. Hydrogen cyanide that is encompassed in Zyklon B gas has adverse effects such as it is unstable when close to a heat source, water or materials with alkaline components the gas may also explode if it is mixed with at least twenty percent of sulfuric acid its reaction may be uncontrollable if polymerization occurs which leads to explosion (Jewish Policy, 1939)
Uses of Zyklon B.
Hydrogen cyanide is used as a pesticide in some countries, though the gas was banned in other countries. It is not commonly used since due to its poison effect that it causes to humans and the reputation of genocide in 1942 in Germany. It was majorly used in California in the 1880s to control farm pests, and home pests before German scientists to a chemical weapon re-engineered it. The gas was also used in the early 1920s by the United States of America to disinfect clothes of Mexican border crossers at the Mexican-U.S.A boarder. The gas helped to get rid of infections and pests such as bugs that could be transmitted through clothes between citizens of Mexico and U.S.A controlling disease outbreak.
Before the introduction of lethal injection in 2010, most countries inclusive of Germany and USA used hydrogen cyanide to execute prisoners sentenced to death. The prisoners have put gas chambers, and hydrogen cyanide is rel...