CHEMICAL-ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL-SAMPLES COLLECTED IN IRAQ - ANALYSIS FOR THE PRESENCE OF CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS

Nineteen samples from the United Nations Special Commission 65 on Iraq (UNSCOM 65) were analyzed for chemical warfare (CW) related compounds using a variety of spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques inclu ding multinuclear NMR, GC (phosphorus, sulfur and atomic emission dete ction), GC/MS (electron impact and chemical ionization), tandem MS, HP LC/ion chromatography, HPLC/thermospray/MS, FTIR, ICP and GFAA. The sa mples consisted of one piece of cloth, one piece of wood, six waters, six soils, two vegetation samples and two mortar shell crosscut sectio ns. No intact CW agents were detected; however, diethyl phosphoric aci d was unambiguously identified in three of the water samples and ethyl phosphoric acid was tentatively identified, at lower levels, in one o f the water samples. Diethyl phosphoric acid and ethyl phosphoric acid are degradation products of munitions-grade Tabun (GA), an organophos phorus nerve agent. However, these compounds are also degradation prod ucts of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) scheduled compound Amito n as well as many commercially available pesticides.