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Detection and measurement of sulfur mustard offgassing from the weanling pig following exposure to saturated sulfur mustard vapor † **
Author(s) -
Logan Thomas P.,
Graham John S.,
Martin Jamie L.,
Zallnick John E.,
Jakubowski Edward M.,
Braue Ernest H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of applied toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1099-1263
pISSN - 0260-437X
DOI - 10.1002/1099-1263(200012)20:1+<::aid-jat674>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - chromatography , tenax , chemistry , sorbent , gas chromatography , sulfur mustard , detection limit , mass spectrometry , sulfur , weanling , analytical chemistry (journal) , organic chemistry , adsorption , toxicity , medicine
Animal models are employed to investigate mechanisms of injury and to evaluate protective measures against sulfur mustard (HD) exposure. The ability to detect and quantify HD enables the researcher to follow safe procedures in handling skin samples. We designed an experimental procedure to measure HD offgassing from animal models. A Minicams ® —a portable gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector and on‐line sorbent collection and desorption—was used to monitor the HD concentration. Confirming measurements were made using a two‐step process that trapped HD on a Tenax sorbent off‐line and then transferred the sample by means of an ACEM 900 to a gas chromato‐graph equipped with either a flame photometric detector or a mass spectrometer. Sulfur mustard offgassing data are presented from three experiments in which weanling pigs were exposed to saturated HD vapor via vapor caps containing 10 μl of HD. The HD concentration was measured in time‐weighted‐average (TWA) units at a specific HD application site. The current 8‐h maximum exposure limit for HD is 3‐ng l −1 , (1 TWA unit). The largest TWA value measured near a 3 h time point was a Minicams measurement of 0.48 TWA at 2 h and 53 min after removal of a vapor cap containing HD from a single exposure site on an animal that had 24 concurrent dorsal exposure sites. Gas chromatography/flame photometric detection and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry were used to confirm the Minicams data and to provide greater sensitivity and selectivity down to 0.1 TWA. The gas hromatography/mass spectrometry data confirmed that HD concentrations fell below 0.1 TWA in <5 h for a specific site. These measurements of HD concentrations provided information on the expeditious and safe handling of HD‐exposed tissue. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.