Toxic industrial agents protection

The appropriate PPE for occupants of a facility depends on the operations conducted in the facility and the potential hazards associated with the activity. In a laboratory, factory, or research environment where hazardous materials are routinely used, PPE typically serves only as a secondary barrier for protection. In a typically nonhazardous setting, respiratory protection may be required to provide additional protection for unforeseen events, such as a toxic industrial agent spill or a terrorist attack. 

Protective Masks. Military protective masks may not protect against toxic industrial chemicals. Civilian protective mask used in industrial hygiene and hazardous waste operations may not protect against military NBC agents. It is imperative to ensure that the protective mask being used is appropriate for the situation. USACHPPM and SBCCOM can assist in the selection of the proper masks. 

Tychem F is used as a barrier layer within garments used to protect from chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. 

Remove the detector from its protective container and review the manufacturer s recommendation for its use. Confirm that this detector will detect the agent suspected to be present. Most of these detectors provide broad-spectrum warning of nerve agents, cyanide compounds, halogen gases, some toxic industrial chemicals, and blister agents. 

Lev et al. have studied chemical methods to counteract nerve agents and remediate organophosphate (OP) contamination by means of nanoparticles, polymers, and nanofibers functionalized by a-nucleophilic agents [38, 39], Fibrous mats functionalized with a-nucleophilic oxime moieties were prepared by either electrospinning blends of polyacrylamidoxime and PAN or surface oximation of prefabricated PAN fibrous mats and demonstrated to possess a pronounced capability to hydrolyze chemical nerve agent simulants in the presence of moisture [39]. The layer-by-layer electrostatic assembly technique offers another strategy for electrospun fiber surface functionalization [40]. For the application in protective fabrics, Lee et al. demonstrated that electrospun fibers used as the substrate for titanium dioxide nanoparticle coatings resulted in increased specific substrate surface areas of about 10 that of the flat film, which enhanced photocatalytic decomposition of toxic industrial chemicals (Fig. 14.4a-c) [41,42]. 

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