Issues Related to the Decontamination of Chemically Contaminated Human Remains.
Abstract
*This report, based on a search of the available literature, addressed issues specific to problems of decontamination of chemically contaminated human remains. Specific areas of concern included: (1) identification of a worst case situation; (2) determining if hypochlorite is the best decontaminant available; (3) determining the optimum pH for hypochlorate use as a decontaminant; (4) determining an optimum concentration of hypochlorite; (5) determining whether there is benefit in using the sodium salt over the calcium salt of hypochlorite; (6) determination/identification of the agent(s) most difficult to decontaminate; (7) estimation of amount of agent to which remains would be exposed; (8) estimation of how much, if any, agent could be found in decontaminated remains that might be hazardous to handlers of the remains subsequent to decontamination; and (9) determining if there are cosmetic effects produced by the decontamination process. Because the Army was proceeding to write doctrine for a specific decontamination procedure, the questions addressed in this report were focused to those issues that were of prime importance to near-term development of a field system for decontamination of chemically contaminated human remains so that the remains could be released to the family of the deceased.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA366817
Entities
People
- B. Papirmeister
- J. Darwell
- R. Ford
- Samantha G. Robinson
- W. Wilson
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense