Efficacy of DECON Green against VX Nerve and HD Mustard Simulants at Subfreezing Temperatures

摘要

The objective of these studies was to quantify the efficacy of DECON Green against the VX nerve agent simulant bis (2-ethyl hexyl) phosphite and the HD mustard agent simulant 2-chloroethyl phenyl sulfide when used below 0 C relative to DECON Green use above 0 C. The efficacy of the DECON Green formulations was tested at 4 , 5 and 15 C using both dermal transfer and mass balance approaches. Dermal transfer measurements simulated the transfer of agent to skin. The mass balance approach addressed the fate of simulant by quantifying simulant recovery following each step of a decontamination process. Simulant that could not be accounted for in the mass balance was attributed to simulant degradation, and the effect of DECON Green was separated from other effects. Two formulations of DECON Green were investigated: the standard formulation, New DECON Green, and the cold weather formulation, CA2WT. At controlled temperatures, simulants were spread on aluminum disks or coupons that were treated with Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC). The CARC coupons were subsequently decontaminated using standard U.S. Army testing procedures. At all temperatures investigated, sequential dermal contact transfers of the simulant were three (on the HD mustard-agent simulant) to four (on the VX nerve-agent simulant) times lower following the application of DECON Green and washing than without DECON Green or without washing. The mass balance data showed that washing with a propylene glycol:H2O solution was an important part of the decontamination process. DECON Green both degraded the simulant and improved simulant removal by washing. These findings indicate that at both 5 and 15 C, conditions where water-based procedures would be problematic, DECON Green and washing with propylene glycol:H2O can be effective at reducing surface contact hazards from chemical agent simulants.