title: Decontamination of adsorbed chemical warfare agents on activated carbon using hydrogen peroxide solutions.
abstract: Mild treatment with hydrogen peroxide solutions (3-30%) efficiently decomposes adsorbed chemical warfare agents (CWAs) on microporous activated carbons used in protective garments and air filters. Better than 95% decomposition of adsorbed sulfur mustard (HD), sarin, and VX was achieved at ambient temperatures within 1-24 h, depending on the H2O2 concentration. HD was oxidized to the nontoxic HD-sulfoxide. The nerve agents were perhydrolyzed to the respective nontoxic methylphosphonic acids. The relative rapidity of the oxidation and perhydrolysis under these conditions is attributed to the microenvironment of the micropores. Apparently, the reactions are favored due to basic sites on the carbon surface. Our findings suggest a potential environmentally friendly route for decontamination of adsorbed CWAs, using H2O2 without the need of cosolvents or activators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry and ‡Department of Organic Chemistry, Israel Institute for Biological Research , P. O. Box 19, Ness Ziona 74100, Israel.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osovsky
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nir
authors.forename: Hadar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rotter
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elisha
authors.forename: Ishay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Columbus
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D003666:Decontamination; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012524:Sarin / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D012996:Solutions; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002606:Charcoal; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D009151:Mustard Gas; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds; D012524:Sarin; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; C009680:VX-agent