Hydrogen peroxide-based decontamination of chemical warfare
agents
Issue title: Sensing and Destroying Chemical Weapons and
Pesticides Based on the Symposium at the 238th American Chemical Society
Meeting Washington DC, USA, August 18–19, 2009
Affiliations: U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Attn:
RDCB-DRP-F, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood, MD 21010-542, USA. E-mail:
george.wagner@us.army.mil
Abstract: Chemical warfare agents (CWA) are rapidly decontaminated using a
hydrogen peroxide-based decontamination solution. In the weakly-basic
decontaminant (pH 8) – activated and buffered with bicarbonate, molybdate, and
citrate – nerve agents such as VX and GD undergo perhydrolysis
(OOH^{-}) whereas the blister agent HD is catalytically
oxidized, primarily, by tetraperoxomolybdate
[Mo(OO)_{4}^{2-}] to the non-vesicant sulfoxide. The
decontaminant, once mixed, exhibits remarkable stability, maintaining efficacy
(pot-life) for at least 12 h. On non-sorptive, non-porous surfaces such as
aluminum, the decontaminant decontaminates VX, GD, and HD to below acceptable
levels (i.e., < 0.078, 1.67, and 10.0 μg/cm^{2}, respectively).
