The continued use of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) around the world is clear evidence of the need to improve current sampling methods after a chemical attack. At present, most research on the desorption of CWAs has been related to decontamination processes from various matrices, however, there is few information related to the adsorption and desorption of CWAs on common office materials that can be applied to the investigations of chemical attacks. In this study dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) was used as a CWA simulant to investigate the sorption and desorption of a CWA released into an office space. DMMP was disseminated as an aerosol and vapor onto four common office materials, cardboard (CB), polyurethane foam (PUF), painted wallboard (PWB), and carpet dust (CD), according to a thoroughly designed set of experiments. The amount of DMMP initially captured and its amount over time was tracked by mass measurements and solvent extraction with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Physicochemical properties of the office materials such a surface area per mass, pore volume, porosity and heats of sorption were measured in order to help explain the capture and release of DMMP that was observed. Practical recommendations on the office materials that should be collected after chemical attacks are provided.

Adsorption and desorption study of a nerve-agent simulant from office materials for forensic applications

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.