Reactivity of Dual-Use Decontaminants with Chemical Warfare Agents

Abstract

Abstract : Liquid-phase reactor experiments were performed with commercial products and decontaminants to identify viable dual-use products for the decontamination of the chemical warfare agents HD, GD, and VX. The chemical reactivity of the agents in the absence of mass transport limitations (e.g., dissolution of neat agent) was evaluated using a dilute liquid-phase reactor method. When coupled with material testing, the reactor results were used to determine the decontamination modes of action occurring within materials. Evaluation of the data indicated several agent-specific and several broad-spectrum (multiple agent) reactive decontaminants. The reactor analysis was used to identify several commercial products that may provide reactivity with multiple chemical warfare agents in the solution phase. The results indicated that HD was susceptible to oxidation under acidic and alkaline conditions, GD was reactive under alkaline conditions for several decontaminant chemistries, and VX was reactive under acidic and alkaline oxidation chemistries with buffer components. The results suggest that a highly reactive decontaminant for all agents could be achieved with a buffered, alkaline oxidative chemistry that maintains pH levels above 10. This study provides the foundation to enable the interpretation of the mode of decontamination (i.e., reaction or extraction) of chemical warfare agents from materials.