Vapor Validation of Monitoring Systems for Detection of Trace Levels of Chemical Warfare Agents in Air

Abstract

U.S. Army facilities for elimination of chemical warfare agents (CWA) include instrumentation for monitoring trace-levels of CWA in air. Protocols for calibration and quality control assessment of air-monitoring systems use solutions of agent standards in solvent; however, agent potentially detected in the facility would be in gaseous form. The Army is conducting vapor validation studies in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). These studies assess performance of instrumentation to monitor for CWA vapor at temperature and humidity conditions encountered at CWA destruction facilities. Vapor validation studies on monitoring methods for lewisite (L) [dichloro-(2-chlorovinyl)arsine] are of interest because the CWA is difficult to sample and must be derivitized for analysis. Vapor validation efforts have resulted in recommendations for changes to equipment configuration to enhance monitoring of CWA vapor.