White phosphorous bomb
White phosphoros bombs use one of the allotropes of phosphorous. They are used as incendiary weapons. White phosphorous is very reactive, and will ignite, when it comes in contact with the oxygen in the air. It will burn with a white flame, and heat up to 1,300 °C (2,370 °F). Burning white phosproous will also produce a lot of toxic white smoke. While the fire can be extingished with water, the phosphorous will soon re-ignite. For this reason, sand should be used to extinguish it.
Health effects
changeAnyone coming in contact will suffer third-degree burns, and wounds which will take a very long time to heal. If they are not treated soon, injured people will die a slow and painful death.
Use is banned
changeThe UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons of 1980 prohibits the use of weapons which cause a lot of injury or whose effects are indiscriminate. This means that white phosphorous ammunition is banned under this converion. Some people think that because it is highly toxic, white phosphorous bombs may be a chemical weapon. This means that they would be banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention.