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Nancy B. Munro,¹ Sylvia S. Talmage,¹ Guy D. Griffin,¹ Larry C. Waters,² Annetta P. Watson,¹ Joseph F. King,³ and Veronique Hauschild ⁴

¹Life Sciences Division, ²Chemical and Analytical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
³U.S. Army Environmental Center, ⁴U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA

Abstract

We include in this review an assessment of the formation, environmental fate, and mammalian and ecotoxicity of CW agent degradation products relevant to environmental and occupational health. These parent CW agents include several vesicants: sulfur mustards [undistilled sulfur mustard (H) , sulfur mustard (HD) , and an HD/agent T mixture (HT) ] ; nitrogen mustards [ethylbis(2-chloroethyl) amine (HN1) , methylbis(2-chloroethyl) amine (HN2) , tris(2-chloroethyl) amine (HN3) ], and Lewisite ; four nerve agents O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino) ethyl] methylphosphonothioate (VX) , tabun (GA) , sarin (GB) , and soman (GD) ; and the blood agent cyanogen chloride. The degradation processes considered here include hydrolysis, microbial degradation, oxidation, and photolysis. We also briefly address decontamination but not combustion processes. Because CW agents are generally not considered very persistent, certain degradation products of significant persistence, even those that are not particularly toxic, may indicate previous CW agent presence or that degradation has occurred. Of those products for which there are data on both environmental fate and toxicity, only a few are both environmentally persistent and highly toxic. Major degradation products estimated to be of significant persistence (weeks to years) include thiodiglycol for HD ; Lewisite oxide for Lewisite ; and ethyl methyl phosphonic acid, methyl phosphonic acid, and possibly S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioic acid (EA 2192) for VX. Methyl phosphonic acid is also the ultimate hydrolysis product of both GB and GD. The GB product, isopropyl methylphosphonic acid, and a closely related contaminant of GB, diisopropyl methylphosphonate, are also persistent. Of all of these compounds, only Lewisite oxide and EA 2192 possess high mammalian toxicity. Unlike other CW agents, sulfur mustard agents (e.g., HD) are somewhat persistent ; therefore, sites or conditions involving potential HD contamination should include an evaluation of both the agent and thiodiglycol. Key words: anticholinesterase, blood agent, CK, cyanogen chloride, decontamination, GA, GB, GD, HD, HN, hydrolysis, Lewisite, microbial degradation, nerve agent, nitrogen mustard, oxidation, sarin, soman, sulfur mustard, tabun, VX, vesicant. Environ Health Perspect 107:933-974 (1999) . [Online 3 November 1999]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1999/107p933-974munro/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to S.S. Talmage, 1060 Commerce Park, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA. Telephone: (423) 576-7758. Fax: (423) 574-9888. E-mail: syt@ornl.gov

We thank H.T. Borges, R. Young, M. Major, and R. Valis for their technical review of the analyses and R. Haas for the identification of chemical structures and Chemical Abstract Service numbers for many of the degradation products. We also thank L.A. Wilson for editing references and providing library assistance.

This review has been prepared for the U.S. Department of the Army, Army Environmental Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) , MD, in collaboration with the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, APG, MD. The work was performed under Interagency Agreement No 1769-1769-A1, 2134-K006-A1, and 2207-M135-A1. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-96OR22464.

This paper builds on previous summaries prepared at ORNL for the U.S. Department of the Army, Office of the Program Executive Officer, Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, APG, MD, under Interagency Agreement 40-1354-83 with Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.

Received 30 December 1998 ; accepted 11 June 1999.