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A Review of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) Detector Technologies and Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Items.

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Abstract

This report provides a review of the open-source literature (unclassified) and information obtained from manufacturers regarding the technologies, including advantages and disadvantages, used in commercially available equipment currently employed for the detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and toxic industrial chemicals (TICs). A brief description of the well-known, commercial-off-the-shelf instruments that employ these technologies is also provided.

Executive Summary

The ability to rapidly detect, identify and monitor chemical warfare agents (CWAs) is imperative for the efficient use of both military and civilian defence resources. This knowledge allows the severity and extent of a hazard to be assessed so that areas that are clean or contaminated can be identified. Furthermore, the information acquired by these systems provides advice to military commanders and first responders, regarding the donning of individual protective equipment (IPE), sampling, handling and analysis procedures as well as medical countermeasures, should the need arise. An ideal detector can be described as one that can detect both CWAs and toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) selectively within an acceptable time; sensitive enough to detect agent concentrations at or below levels which pose a health risk, and not be affected by other factors in the environment. The detector should have a rapid reaction and recovery time whilst being portable, easy to operate and produce data that is easily interpreted. As yet, the ‘ideal’ detector is not a commercial reality. Many of the commercially available CWA detectors utilise technologies that are adapted from classical analytical chemistry techniques. These technologies each have their advantages and disadvantages, which are discussed in detail in the report, and include ion mobility spectroscopy, flame photometry, infra-red spectroscopy, raman spectroscopy, surface acoustic wave, colorimetric, photo ionization and flame ionization. The commercial-off-the-shelf instruments that employ each of these technologies, are also described in the report. The content in this review is based on open-source literature and information obtained from the manufacturers. The effectiveness of a particular detection technology can be a function of the chemical’s physical properties and although the technologies have progressed significantly, there is still room for improvement. The major challenge is the need to increase detection reliability and reduce the frequency of false alarms. The future direction for detectors is to develop a capability for the detection of not only CWAs but also for a wide range of TICs. This may come from combining a number of technologies, in the form of network sensor arrays, which may offset any problems posed by individual detectors and enable a more robust response for a wider range of target chemicals. Furthermore, systems such as these may also have the potential to enable more selective, sensitive and reliable detection with fewer false alarms. Detectors with significantly improved specificity and selectivity, beyond currently available devices, will assist in providing a faster assessment of the severity and extent of a hazard and as such allow a more effective response from defence personnel and civilian first responders. However, much research is still required in this area.

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