Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Chemical Emergencies
When a hazardous chemical has been released, it may harm people's health. Chemical releases can be unintentional, as in the case of an industrial accident. They could also be planned, as in the case of a terrorist attack with a chemical weapon.
Some hazardous chemicals have been developed by military organizations for use in warfare. Examples are nerve agents such as sarin and VX. Many hazardous chemicals are used in industry - for example, chlorine, ammonia, and benzene. Some can be made from everyday items such as household cleaners.
Although there are no guarantees of safety during a chemical emergency, you can take actions to protect yourself. You should have a disaster plan. Being prepared can help reduce fear, anxiety, and losses. If you do experience a disaster, it is normal to feel stressed. You may need help in finding ways to cope.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Disasters.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Chemical Emergencies
177 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- High Dose Buprenorphine (BUP) Induction in the Emergency Department (ED)Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- Emergency Department-Substance Use Screening, Motivational Interviewing and Active Referral Targeting Substance Use Disorder and Overdose PreventionPurdue University
- Emergency Department-Initiated Medications for Alcohol Use DisorderYale University
- Preventing Harmful Alcohol Use Among Trauma Patients in CameroonUniversity of Buea
- Using Clinical Decision Support to Provide Social Risk-Informed Care for Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency DepartmentUniversity of California, San Francisco
- Telehealth vs In-Person Evaluation of Addiction Treatment After Visiting the Emergency DepartmentUniversity of California, Davis
Research already completed
- Clinical Characteristics of Patients Referred to a Substance Abuse Liaison Department in an Academic Hospital, FranceCentre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens
- PRACT to Investigate Controlling Alcohol Related Harms in a Low-Income Setting; Emergency Department BIs in TanzaniaDuke University
- Quantitative Xylazine Measurement in EDIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Effectiveness of an ADE-related Hospitalization Risk Prediction Tool for Patients (ADE-RED)Methodist Health System
- ED to EPI: Using SMS to Improve the Transition From the Emergency Department to Early Psychosis InterventionCentre for Addiction and Mental Health
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- About Chemical EmergenciesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Avoiding and Preparing for Chemical ExposureAmerican Public Health Association
- Chemical burn or reactionMedical Encyclopedia
- Chemical Emergency PreparednessAmerican Red Cross
- Chemical Fact SheetsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Chemical pneumonitisMedical Encyclopedia
- Emergency Response and Recognizing Hazardous Substance ReleasesEnvironmental Protection Agency
- First Aid Procedures for Chemical HazardsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Household Chemical EmergenciesDepartment of Homeland Security
- Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)Department of Health and Human Services
- ToxFAQsAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
- What to Do to Evacuate in a Chemical EmergencyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- What to Do to Shelter in Place for a Chemical EmergencyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Chemical Terrorism, Chemical Warfare Agents, Chemical Warfare. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Chemical Emergencies, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.