The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) seeks to ensure that toxic chemicals and precursors are only used for purposes not prohibited by the CWC.  Regarding the use of chemical weapons (CW), the development of new, advanced, or improved technologies or capabilities in the field of chemical forensics will greatly enhance investigations of CW use. Specifically, forensic techniques for sourcing CW-related compounds are needed to provide evidence to connect or exonerate a suspect party to a confiscated CW agent or chemical attack scene by chemically “matching” (or not matching) a collected field sample to reference samples from known sources or other attack scenes.  This capability would help deter and detect cheating, strengthen treaty compliance, and bolster international confidence in the CWC.<br/> <br/>An international collaborative effort among laboratories that are part of the Chemical Forensics International Technical Working Group (CFITWG) are currently working on the standardization of impurity profiling to facilitate the exchange of data to further the development of chemical forensics. This current effort aims to reproduce previously published results on the impurity profiling of the key nerve-agent precursor methylphoshphonic dichloride (DC) and to extend work to DC samples provided by international labs to further scientific understanding. The data generated is shared, analyzed and interpreted to make assessments on protocol effectiveness and robustness to include recommendations for improvements in protocols and future collaborative interactions. It is hope that this work will facilitate the generation of more data and a greater understanding of impurity profiling for the source attribution of CW-related compounds.

Standardization of impurity profiling for chemical forensics international collaborative research

2019 Fall National Meeting

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