Detectors nerve agents

The recent development and comparative application of modern separation techniques with regard to determination of alkylphosphonic acids and lewisite derivatives have been demonstrated. This report highlights advantages and shortcomings of GC equipped with mass spectrometry detector and HPLC as well as CE with UV-Vis detector. The comparison was made from the sampling point of view and separation/detection ability. The derivatization procedure for GC of main degradation products of nerve agents to determine in water samples was applied. Direct determination of lewisite derivatives by HPLC-UV was shown. Also optimization of indirect determination of alkylphosphonic acids in CE-UV was developed. Finally, the new instrumental development and future trends will be discussed. 

Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) This detector will employ surface acoustic wave technology to detect nerve and blister agents. It will also allow detection of new forms of nerve agents. 

Acoustic wave sensors are also used to detect nerve and blister agents. The surface acoustic wave chemical agent detector (SAW Mini-CAD) is a commercially available, pocket-sized instrument that can monitor for trace levels of toxic vapors of sulfur-based mustard agents (e.g., distilled mustard) and G nerve agents (e.g., tabun, sarin, soman) with a high degree of specificity. Colorimetric tubes are the... 

Wang and coworkers [24] described NCE with a thick film amperometric detector for separation and detection of organophosphate nerve agents (para-oxon, methyl parathion, fenitrothion, and ethyl parathion) within 140 seconds. The electropherograms are shown in Fig. 8.29 indicating good separation. The separation conditions were buffer, 20 mM MES (pH 5.0) containing 7.5 mM... 

On the defensive side, service requirements were promulgated for a real-time detector for nerve agents in the field, shipboard detectors for Royal Navy vessels, prophylactics and therapy for nerve agent poisoning and a new respirator. The procurement cycle for some of these items was relatively quick, but for others, in particular the respirator, the process was one of continuous improvement reflecting advances in science and technology. However, to try to provide a succinct analysis of the first 20 post-war years of chemical weapon development in Britain is difficult mainly because many topics cannot be reported due to the non-disclosure of sensitive documents by the British government. 

Shipboard automatic liquid agent detector (SALAD). The technologies to be used in the SALAD have recently been reviewed, but no decision has been made on the final selection. The instrument is designed to be an automated, externally mounted liquid agent detector capable of detecting G-type and VX nerve agents as well as vesicant chemical agents. 

NAIAD Nerve Agent Immobilized-enzyme Alarm and Detector... 

Another approach for the development of PET-based molecular indicators for detection of nerve agents utilizes phosphorylation of an amine functionality, which is integrated into the structure of a fluorophore. This principle is used in the case of highly substituted anthracene bisimide (Figure 16.17f) [51] and fluoresceinamine (Figure 16.17g) [52]. These sensory compounds can be easily incorporated into polymer matrices [51] or deposited onto the surface of silica beads [52], thus yielding solid state detectors. 

In the area of chemical monitors and detectors we employ a combination of alarms or monitors and chemical bubbler systems in the plant, on stacks, and at perimeters. Our objective is to provide adequate warning of process upsets - either major or minor that could affect workers, surrounding populations, or the environment. We have developed exposure and emission standards for each of the chemical agents being disposed of and these standards dictated that we advance the state-of-the-art for detectors and analytical procedures. The standards for GB nerve agent for example are ... 

Determination of Nerve Agents In contrast to those rather unusual methods, GC coupled to diverse detection systems, e.g. flame ionization detector (FID), nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD), flame photometric detector or mass spectrometer, as well as liquid chromatographic (LC) methods, represent the most common techniques for OP determination especially for biological samples. These methods offer high resolution, sufficient limits of detection, good reproducibility, and robust hardware devices. For more detailed information readers are referred to recent review articles (Hooijschuur et al, 2002 John et al, 2008). 

However, analysis becomes much more complex when stereoisomers are quantified separately (Figure 50.1). Enantiomers cause identical detector responses in NPD, FID, or MS. Therefore, chiral separation systems are required to overcome these detector limitations. Despite enormous progress in separation media and detector systems within the last two decades the number of reports on chiral analysis of nerve agents valuable for toxicokinetic studies is... 

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