Lachrymatory agent
| Missing image WMD-chemical.png |
| This article forms part of the series |
| (A subset of Weapons of mass destruction) |
| Lethal agents |
|---|
| Blood agents |
| Cyanogen chloride |
| Hydrogen cyanide |
| Blister agents |
| Lewisite |
| Sulfur mustard gas (HD and THD, HT) |
| Nerve agents |
| G-Agents |
| GA (tabun), GB (sarin) GD (soman), GF (cyclosarin) |
| V-Agents |
| VE, VG, VM, VX |
| Pulmonary agents |
| Chlorine |
| Phosgene |
| Diphosgene |
| Non-lethal agents |
| Incapacitating agents |
| BZ / Agent 15 |
| KOLOKOL-1 |
| Riot control agents |
| Pepper spray |
| CS gas |
| CN gas |
| CR gas |
A lachrymatory agent or lachrymator is a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause pain and that may even cause temporary blindness. Several commonly used chemicals are lachrymators; for example, bromoacetone, benzylchloride, thiophene, chlorine, and bromine.
Tear gas and pepper spray are lachrymatory agents that are also used as riot control agents and chemical warfare agents. During World War I more toxic lachrymatory agents were used albeit in much smaller amounts than dangerously poisonous gases such as phosgene.