Organophosphorus nerve agents vapors

Toxicity The agents GA, GB, and VX are rapidly acting, lethal nerve agents. They directly affect the nervous system and are toxic as liquids and vapors. They are organophosphorus esters that inhibit acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that prevents the accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the nerve synapses. When too much acetylcholine is present, convulsion and death may result. 

Acoustic analysis detects changes in the properties of acoustic waves as they travel at ultrasonic frequencies in piezoelectric materials. The interaction between the waves and the phase-matter composition facilitates chemical selectivity and, thus, the detection of CWA s. These are commonly known as surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. Reported studies indicate detection limits as low as 0.01 mg m for organophosphorus analytes within a 2 min analysis [1]. There are several commercially available SAW instruments, which can automatically monitor for trace levels of toxic vapors from G-nerve agents and other CWAs, with a high degree of selectivity. A major advantage of SAW detectors is that they can be made small, portable and provide a real-time analysis of unknown samples. One of the drawbacks of these instruments is that sensitivity and a rapid response time are inversely related. In an ideal instrument, both parameters would be obtained without sacrificing one for the other. 

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