Acute Inhalation Toxicity of Chemically Neutralized/Hydrolyzed VX in Rats. SCWO Effluent Prior to Evaporation SCWO Effluent Post-Evaluation

Abstract

The chemical agent VX was neutralized through a series of chemical and oxidative reactions to produce two markedly less toxic effluent streams. The first stream, which came directly from a Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) reaction was identified as SCWO Effluent Prior to Evaporation. The second stream, which went through an evaporation/distillation process after the SCWO reaction was identified as SCWO Effluent Post-Evaporation. An acute inhalation toxicity test was conducted on each of the two effluents per Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines. Separate groups of Sprague/Dawley rats were exposed for 1 hr to an aerosol concentration of 1.9 mg(L (post/evaporation effluent) and to a vapor concentration of 5.4 mg(L (post-evaporation effluent). The rats did not exhibit any signs of irritation or overt toxicity during the exposure or post-exposure period. No deaths occurred within the 14-day post-exposure period, indicating that the two effluents were less toxic than a DOT Class 6.1 poison via inhalation. The effluent streams from the SCWO reaction of VX do not appear to pose an acute inhalation hazard.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA403226

Entities

People

  • Charles L. Crouse
  • J. S. Anthony
  • Lee C. Crouse
  • Sandra A. Thomson
  • William T. Muse Jr.

Organizations

  • Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Chemistry
  • Evaporation
  • Fluids
  • Laboratory Animals
  • Liquids
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Oxidation
  • Particle Size
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Toxicity
  • Vapors
  • Water Vapor

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Organic Chemistry