Guidelines for Chemical Warfare Agents in Military Field Drinking Water

摘要

CW agents are generally designed to be used on opposing military forces toproduce death or incapacitation. When they are used in military attacks, they are potential contaminants of field drinking-water supplies. CW agents that could appear in military field water and that are of particular concern to the Army are 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ), organophosphorus nerve agents (GA, GB, GD, and VX), sulfur mustard agents (HD, THD, and HT), T-2 toxin (a fungal metabolite), lewisite (an arsenical vesicant), and cyanide. The Army requested that the National Research Council (NRC) review the toxicity of selected CW agents and assess the adequacy of its proposed field drinking-water standards. The report presents the subcommittee's evaluations of the Army's proposed standards. The report also presents the subcommittee's recommendations for preventing adverse health effects in military personnel exposed to CW agents in field drinking water and for improving the toxicity data base for these CW agents.