Decontamination basic requirements

Though an ideal decontaminant may be difficult to attain, many alternatives exist that are readily available and meet many basic requirements, van Hooidonk et al. (1983) evaluated a variety of household products as decontaminants for VX, soman, and sulfur mustard. His paper provides an excellent comparison of these readily available decontaminants to include flour, soapy water, talcum powder, and tissue paper. We have selected several other candidate decontaminants that are under investigation, in advanced development, or currently fielded. These include the currently fielded U.S. Department of Defense skin decontaminants (M291 Skin Decontamination Kit [SDK], 0.5% hypochlorite, and 1% soapy water). Reactive Skin Decontaminant Lotion (RSDL), Diphoterine, Sandia Laboratory s Decontamination Foam, and the Decontamination Sponge. 

Eventually first responder personnel on scene will have to answer the basic question Do you have an attack or not Unlike exposure to chemical agents, exposure to biological agents does not require immediate removal of victims clothing and gross decontamination. With biological agents, inhalation is the most common route of entry to a victim s contamination. 

Responds to the release of hazardous substances in a defensive manner without actually trying to stop the release. Requires Level 1 competency and 8 hours of additional training in basic hazard and risk assessment, personal protective equipment selection, containment and control procedures, decontamination, and standard operating procedures. 

Basic and advanced life-support measures should be utilized as necessary. Treatment of colchicine toxicity is largely supportive. Activated charcoal effectively adsorbs colchicines and should be administered for substantial recent ingestions. Aggressive early gastrointestinal decontamination may be life saving. Severe anemia may require packed red blood... 

Basic and advanced life-support measures should be utilized as necessary. Treatment is entirely symptomatic and supportive. Gastrointestinal decontamination with activated charcoal may be used depending upon the patient s clinical status, the history of the ingestion, and the time since the ingestion. Mechanical ventilation may be required for patients with decreased respiratory function. 

Two basically different types of maintenance can be incorporated in the plant design. Direct maintenance involves personal contact service on the equipment in place and requires thorough decontamination, usually a very slow procedure, before entry into the process area. Where possible,... 

The basic threat to and management principles for chemical casualties have not changed since World War I. To survive and to accomplish the mission on the chemical battlefield, medical care providers must be able to respond quickly and effectively. Soldiers must be trained in first-aid procedures. Decontamination procedures must be practiced. And medical care providers must know how to perform their mission in a chemical environment. Continued, careful attention to each of these requirements will significantly reduce the chemical threat to our military personnel. 

Environmental requirements are assuming great importance, since there is an increased interest in the industrial use of renewable resources such as starch and chitin. Considerable efforts are now being made in the research and development of polysaccharide derivatives as the basic materials for new applications. In particular, the increasing cost of conventional adsorbents undoubtedly makes chitin and chitosan-based materials one of the most attractive biosorbent for wastewater treatment. Chitin and chitosan biopolymers have demonstrated outstanding removal capabilities for certain pollutants such as dyes and metal ions as compared to other low-cost sorbents and commercial-activated carbons. Biopolymer adsorbents are efficient and can be used for the decontamination of effluents (removal of pollutants) and for separation processes (recovery of valuable metals). 

The answer to the basic tactical question from the American point of view was to mount an overwhelmingly superior force, which would mean using all the men in every combat-ready unit which could be assembled in the United Kingdom and which could be provided with transport to the Continent, The technical services in turn would have to accumulate sufficient materiel to support such a force. The CWS ETO portion of the materiel project involved three basic categories of supply (i) individual and collective gas warfare protective and decontaminating items for the entire force (2) weapons and ammunition for chemical mortar units plus flame and smoke weapons and equipment for all combat forces (3) and special operational requirements such as smoke protection for the beachhead. The first job was... 

A variation of the standard RTC course to meet Army Air Force requirements for chemical warfare replacements was undertaken in December 1942. Under a procedure developed at that time, sixty-five AAF trainees were shipped to the CWS RTC every two weeks, after completion of four weeks of basic Air Force training. Upon arrival, they entered the fifth week of instruction under MTP 3-3 at Camp Sibert, completing the course nine weeks later. They were then given four weeks of specialized instruction in the functions of either a chemical noncommissioned officer (SSN 870), a decontaminating equipment operator (SSN 809), or a toxic gas handler (SSN 786). This program was continued throughout 1943. When terminated on 31 January 1944, it had produced 1,450 enlisted men technically trained for duty with various chemical activities of the AAF. 

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