Test method and simple analysis model for off-gassing studies of military-relevant surfaces contaminated with chemical warfare agent simulants

This study was conducted to develop methods for testing off-gassing from select military-relevant surfaces and to establish a model for predicting off-gassing from a broad range of such surfaces. Vapor contaminated surfaces were investigated by exposing representative field materials to chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulants, and then monitoring the off-gassing concentration as a function of time. Concrete, plastic, wood, steel and latex paint surfaces were contaminated with triethyl phosphate, 4-chlorobutyl acetate, 3-hepten-2-one, trimethyl phosphate, and 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine. The testing process and simple analysis model provide test and analysis methods that will be used to test agent off-gassing and can serve as a standard for vapor hazard testing following vapor exposure. Use of the simple model was justified, based on analyses of the measured off-gassing trends and the predicted trends of interaction between each compound and each surface.