Cooperative On-site Sampling and Analysis Experiment (COSAX)

摘要

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) expresses a preference for the analysis of samples at the site of the inspection during which they were collected. In order to accomplish this effectively a highly portable laboratory kit must be assembled in modular form to be transported to the inspection site. This kit must allow for the collection of samples, the preparation of samples for analysis and, finally, the analysis of the collected samples. The US Army Research, Development and Engineering Center (ERDEC) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) under US Department of Energy funding have, largely through independent but coordinated programs, assembled such a laboratory kit. ERDEC and LLNL have joined with the UK Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment (CBDE) to evaluate and demonstrate the capability of the portable laboratory kit. The exercise, called the Cooperative, On-site Sampling and Analysis Experiment (COSAX) took place from 11 to 15 April, 1994, at the CBDE, Porton Down, UK. The paper describes the experimental plan, discusses, the results, and summarizes the findings.