[jandrewrogers]

This was a major issue in the early days of organic high-explosives generally. The explosives and their precursors are often not just toxic but also biologically active. We still use a number of explosives as medicine because the effects on the body are potent. Many can also be absorbed through the skin.

It took a long time for industrial production to become sterile enough that risk of exposure was nominal. The early days of mass producing these chemistries was horrifically unhealthy. But then, so was the frontline. It was a different time.