ACUTE INHALATION TOXICITY OF NEUTRALIZED CHEMICAL-AGENT IDENTIFICATION SETS (CAIS) CONTAINING AGENT IN CHLOROFORM

An acute head-only inhalation study was conducted in rats exposed for Ih to product solution (wastestream) resultant from the chemical neutr alization of Chemical Agent Identification Sets (CAIS) containing agen t (sulfur mustard (HD), nitrogen mustard (HN-1) or lewisite (L)) in ch loroform. Groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to varying concen trations (24 000, 18 000, 12 000 or 6000 ppm) of CAIS wastestream An a dditional group was exposed to the vehicle (chloroform/t-butanol) only , at a concentration equivalent to the concentration of vehicle at the highest exposure level, Animals were evaluated for toxic effects, inc luding assessment of toxicant-induced alterations to the ocular and re spiratory systems, Mortality on exposure to 24 000 ppm of test article or to vehicle alone was high. Mortality in the other exposure groups was roughly proportional to the concentration of test article (wastest ream), Toxic signs were consistent with exposure to solvent system com ponents (chloroform/t-butanol) and to agent decomposition products/by- products. Incidence and severity of ocular effects were similar in veh icle control and treatment groups. The salient respiratory effect obse rved was a decreased minute volume, which was also noted in vehicle an d treatment groups. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.