scholarly journals Deploying Portable Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to Military Users for the Identification of Toxic Chemical Agents in Theater

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 841-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline E. Leary ◽  
Brooke W. Kammrath ◽  
Keith J. Lattman ◽  
Gary L. Beals
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Hazardous Air Pollutants ◽  
End User ◽  
Analytical Instruments ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Hostile Environments

The use of portable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is an important capability that has been available commercially for almost 25 years. These systems have been used within a variety of different industries, including their extensive use by environmental scientists for the analysis of hazardous air pollutants. Recently, these systems were deployed to conventional military forces for use in theater to detect and identify toxic chemicals including chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The challenges of deploying such complex analytical instruments to these military users are unique. Among other things, these organizations have considerable and variable mission strains, complex and difficult logistics and coordination needs, and variability in user backgrounds. This review outlines the value portable GC-MS systems offer to these warfighters in theater, discusses some important aspects of the design of portable systems that makes their deployment to this type of end user possible, and proposes methods that can be used to overcome challenges to successful deployment of portable GC-MS to non-scientists working within hostile environments.

Analysis of chemical warfare agents by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: methods for their direct detection and derivatization approaches for the analysis of their degradation products

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Valdez ◽  
Roald N. Leif ◽  
Saphon Hok ◽  
Bradley R. Hart
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Warfare Agents

AbstractChemical warfare agents (CWAs) are unarguably one of the most feared toxic substances produced by mankind. Their inception in conventional warfare can be traced as far back as the Middle Ages but their full breakthrough as central players in bellic conflicts was not realized until World War I. Since then, more modern CWAs along with efficient methods for their manufacture have emerged and violently shaped the way modern warfare and diplomatic relations are conducted. Owing to their mass destruction ability, counter methods to mitigate their impact appeared almost immediately on par with their development. These efforts have focused on their efficient destruction, development of medical countermeasures and their detection by modern analytical chemistry methods. The following review seeks to provide the reader with a broad introduction on their direct detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the various sample derivatization methods available for the analysis of their degradation products. The review concentrates on three of the main CWA classes and includes the nerve agents, the blistering agents and lastly, the incapacitating agents. Each section begins with a brief introduction of the CWA along with discussions of reports dealing with their detection in the intact form by GC-MS. Furthermore, as products arising from their degradation carry as much importance as the agents themselves in the field of forensic analysis, the available derivatization methods of these species are presented for each CWA highlighting some examples from our lab in the Forensic Science Center at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Mass spectral studies of N-oxides of chemical weapons convention-related aminoethanols by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after silylation

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 442-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Sony ◽  
L Sridhar ◽  
L Sai Sachin ◽  
VVS Lakshmi ◽  
S Prabhakar
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Chemical Ionization ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Chemical Weapons ◽  
Fragment Ions ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Chemical Weapons Convention ◽  
Warfare Agents

N-Alkylaminoethanols, N,N′-dialkylaminoethanols, and triethanolamine are the hydrolyzed products or precursors of V-agents/nitrogen mustards. These compounds are prone to undergo oxidation in environmental matrices. Detection of the oxidized products provides a clue for the presence of parent amine compounds and it is an important task in the verification process of chemical weapons convention. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is the technique of choice for the detection of most of the chemical warfare agents; however, it is ideal to develop gas chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques for all the possible degradation products of chemical warfare agents as well. In general, the N-oxides of amines are expected to be thermally unstable; hence, the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of the N-oxides of triethanolamine, N-alkyldiethanolamines and N,N′-dialkylaminoethanols is not explored. In this study, the N-oxides of chemical weapons convention-related aminoethanols (13 compounds) were successfully silylated and then analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry under electron ionization and chemical ionization techniques. The electron ionization mass spectra showed abundant molecular ions and structure indicative fragment ions including [M-(O+CH2CH2OH)]+. The alkyl groups attached to nitrogen resulted in structure-specific fragment ions that enable differentiation of isomeric compounds. The methane/chemical ionization spectra showed considerably abundant [M+H]+ (>10%) and the expected adduct ions. The retention indices of all the compounds were calculated using Van den Dool's formula. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry data together with retention index values could be used for unambiguous identification of the N-oxides of aminoethanols during off-site analysis or proficiency tests.

scholarly journals Analysis of Organophosphorus-Based Nerve Agent Degradation Products by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS): Current Derivatization Reactions in the Analytical Chemist’s Toolbox

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (15) ◽  
pp. 4631
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Valdez ◽  
Roald N. Leif
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Efficient Detection ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Unambiguous Detection

The field of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the analysis of chemical warfare agents (CWAs), specifically those involving the organophosphorus-based nerve agents (OPNAs), is a continually evolving and dynamic area of research. The ever-present interest in this field within analytical chemistry is driven by the constant threat posed by these lethal CWAs, highlighted by their use during the Tokyo subway attack in 1995, their deliberate use on civilians in Syria in 2013, and their use in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Great Britain in 2018 and Alexei Navalny in 2020. These events coupled with their potential for mass destruction only serve to stress the importance of developing methods for their rapid and unambiguous detection. Although the direct detection of OPNAs is possible by GC-MS, in most instances, the analytical chemist must rely on the detection of the products arising from their degradation. To this end, derivatization reactions mainly in the form of silylations and alkylations employing a vast array of reagents have played a pivotal role in the efficient detection of these products that can be used retrospectively to identify the original OPNA.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document