Evaluation of Military Field-Water Quality. Volume 3. Opportunity Poisons

Abstract

The term opportunity poison refers to any substance that in military situations might be intentionally added to field water to deny its use; it implies that such contamination will be introduced as a spontaneous action, rather than as part of a preconceived plan. Thus, there are many different substances in military inventories and the civilian marketplace that because of their availability and toxic or organoleptic properties (e.g., taste, odor, or appearance) can be considered potential opportunity poisons for field water. To identify these substances and indicate their relative importance from a military perspective, we present a categorization matrix in which classes of compounds are ranked according to their military significance as potential opportunity poisons. The categorization matrix was assembled by considering (1) the probable availability from military or civilian sources, (2) the possible water-related health or aesthetic effects, and (3) the potential impacts on water-treatment equipment of the principal constituents of each class of compounds.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA241521

Entities

People

  • Jeffrey I. Daniels
  • M. B. Carmer
  • V. J. Ciccone

Organizations

  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Chemistry
  • Ecology
  • Environmental Protection
  • Groundwater
  • Health Services
  • Hygiene
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Organizations
  • Warfare
  • Water Purification
  • Water Supplies

Readers

  • Economics
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Theoretical Analysis.