title: Evaluation of Molecular Markers and Analytical Methods Documenting the Occurrence of Mustard Gas and Arsenical Warfare Agents in Soil.
abstract: The chemicals warfare agents (CWAs) are an extremely toxic class of molecules widely produced in many industrialized countries for decades, these compounds frequently contained arsenic. The plants where the CWAs have been produced or the plants where they have been demilitarized after the Second World War with unacceptable techniques can represent a serious environmental problem. CWAs standards are difficult to find on market so in present work an environmental assessment method based on markers has been proposed. Triphenylarsine, phenylarsine oxide and thiodiglycol have been selected as markers. Three reliable analytical methods based on gaschromatography and mass detection have been proposed and tested for quantitative analysis of markers. Methods performance have been evaluated testing uncertainty, linearity, recovery and detection limits and also comparing detection limits with exposure limits of reference CWAs. Proposed assessment methods have been applied to a case study of a former industrial plant sited in an area characterized by a high background of mineral arsenic.
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy. alessandro.sassolini@arpalazio.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sassolini
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brinchi
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Gennaro
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dionisi
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dominici
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fantozzi
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onofri
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.affiliation: Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Via Salaria per L'Aquila 6-8, 02100, Rieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guidotti
mesh_terms: D001152:Arsenicals / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D057230:Limit of Detection; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001152:Arsenicals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D012987:Soil; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C029341:oxophenylarsine; C047519:2,2'-thiodiethanol; C000613766:triphenylarsine; D009151:Mustard Gas
keywords: Derivatization; Old chemical weapon; Phenylarsenic dichloride; Triphenylarsine; Yperite