OPCW mobile laboratory

Sampling and Analysis in the Chemical Weapons Convention and the OPCW Mobile Laboratory... 

If the IT is conducting on-site analysis using its own equipment, the view taken has been that the team should be independent and carry the entire equipment necessary. This led to the design of the OPCW mobile laboratory, which is described in Section 4. 

The following section describes the design and capabilities of the OPCW mobile laboratory. 

The OPCW mobile laboratory is designed for use in all types of inspections. It is able to function self-contained, if necessary in a tent powered by electricity generators. It contains sufficient equipment to allow the IT the collection and preparation of various types of sample matrices and the GC/MS analysis of their extracts. All items of equipment are packaged in flight cases in such a way that two persons can move each transport container by hand. 

Following is a description of the purpose and design of the OPCW mobile laboratory and its respective equipment kits. While the list of approved equipment in C-I/DEC.71 contains other items for S A (i.e. FTIR, Alleged Use Sample Collection Kit), the items described in this article are the ones that have been actually procured and are actively used by OPCW ITs at the time of this publication. A more detailed description of S A equipment kits can be found in Chapter 3. 

The OPCW mobile laboratory includes a portable GC/MS. The system shown in Picture 5 including printer and helium connection kit is packed in five transport boxes. Because of the modular design of the instrument, it is shipped with two GC-ovens and two GC-injectors in order to allow the... 

Two types of portable analytical equipment were approved by the Conference of State Parties for on-site analysis, that is, GC/MS and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Initially, it was anticipated that FTIR might be used in storage, destruction and Schedule 1 facilities for screening purposes to confirm the presence of declared chemicals. While FTIR analysis is suitable to identify pure chemicals or certain chemicals in mixtures at varying detection limits, FTIR cannot be used to analyze for absence of undeclared scheduled chemicals, for which the IT would have to carry in addition to the FUR a GC/MS. For GC/MS analysis samples are analyzed at very low concentration contrary to FTIR analysis, which minimizes the risk of contamination in the on-site laboratory and reduces the risk of exposure of OPCW inspectors and on-site personnel. Considering the limitations of FUR and the fact that GC/MS can cover the field of application of the FUR for OPCW purposes, a decision was taken in 2000 to focus on the use of GC/MS in the OPCW mobile laboratory subject to future developments. 

The OPCW mobile laboratory equipment has been selected to allow operation of a GC/MS laboratory on site, aiming at a performance similar to the one of a stationary laboratory using a standard bench top instrument. However, restrictions in the selection and operation of the equipment (i.e. protection of confidential information) and issues related to logistics/transport of the laboratory equipment cause certain limitations, which are described in the paragraphs below. 

The list of chemicals approved to be brought by the IT and to be used in the OPCW mobile laboratory on site contains no scheduled chemicals in order to prevent any contamination of on-site samples. Therefore, the IT cannot compare analytes detected by GC/MS analysis to reference standards or synthesize these standards on site. 

While the OPCW mobile laboratory is an important tool in the verification process, it is only one element of the OPCW S A network. In Section 1, it was... 

The analytical instrument currendy used in the OPCW mobile laboratory is the portable GC/MS Bruker EM 640S. The instrument and supplementary equipment are packed in 5 transport boxes. (The instrument and procedures for use are described in Chapter 2 and Chapter 4) Before being issued for an inspection, the instrument is validated for on-site use at the OPCW Laboratory following... 

The OPCW mobile laboratory has been set up on inspection, training and exercises in various locations and under different conditions. On the basis of the experience gained, the room to set up the complete OPCW mobile laboratory including all equipment for sample preparation and analysis should fulfil the following minimum requirements ... 

Picture 1. OPCW mobile laboratory set up during an IAU exercise... 

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