IDENTIFICATION OF CHEMICAL-WEAPONS-RELATED COMPOUNDS IN DECONTAMINATION SOLUTIONS AND OTHER MATRICES BY MULTIPLE CHROMATOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES

Several applications have arisen for the high confidence identificatio n of chemical weapons agents and related compounds in toxic waste or o ther complex matrices. Three examples of analysis of agents or byprodu cts are presented: GA (ethyl N,N-dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate, or ta bun) and synthetic byproducts in an complex organic liquid solution; H D [bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide, or mustard gas] in a decontamination sol ution; and VX (S,2-diisopropylaminoethyl ethyl methylphosphonothioate) and a toxic hydrolysis product (S,2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosp honothioic acid, also known as EA-2192). Multiple chromatographic meth ods were used to unequivocally identify low concentrations of agent wi th high confidence, including results from gas chromatographic analysi s with mass spectral detection (with electron impact or chemical ioniz ation), infrared detection, atomic emission detection and flame photom etric detection, as well as liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrom etry.