During and prior to World War II, the British studied this agent and rejected its use in the field. In addition, it is difficult to manufacture and is highly flammable. So although it was determined that arsine was not a useful battlefield CW agent, it may be useful as a small-scale weapon of assassination or terror. Possible sources of occupational exposure are many and include the semiconductor industry during microchip production and other industries in which workers are involved in galvanizing, soldering, etching, and lead plating. It also can be produced inadvertently by mixing arsenic-containing insecticides and acids.
Most patients report little or no discomfort at the time of exposure.
Although a garliclike odor may be noted with higher ambient arsine concentrations, serious toxicity may result from clinically nondetectable exposures. Following exposure, a dose-dependent latent period ensues, lasting up to 24 hours. The classic triad of symptoms in sublethal arsine exposures includes abdominal pain, hematuria, and jaundice. Physical signs and their severity depend on the concentration of arsine gas and the length of the patient's exposure to it. Arsine gas is used in the semiconductor industry when depositing arsenic on microchips.