Chemical Weapon Residues

Although chemical weapons are no longer used and are now regulated under the Chemical Weapons Convention, they are still found in areas of former manufacturing, storage and  disposal.

 

Every year numerous incidents are reported where people have been exposed to these chemicals through contact with buried or sea dredged ammunition, resulting from WWI/WWII disposal activities. These chemicals cause severe burns and blisters and are known carcinogens.

 

Due to the nature of these chemicals and lack of experience, many of the former storage and production areas may have been decommissioned with haste and traces of these chemicals are still present within the surrounding environment. Moreover, many of these chemicals were buried and lay forgotten awaiting to be disturbed.The majority of the chemical weapons used in Europe took the form of blister agents, mainly comprising mustard and organoarsenical compounds. Other agents were used but proved more difficult to apply in the battlefield.

 

Chemical shells were stockpiled by both German and British forces during WWI and the RAF played a big role in their delivery and storage. After the war many of these shells were dumped at sea, buried or burned in open pits.

 

RPS have an open general licence (OGL) in line with the Chemical Weapons Convention to hold, receive and test for the presence of chemical agent residues.

 

Residues analysed:     1,4-Dithiane

                                    1,4-Thioxane

                                    Thiodiglycol

                                    H Mustard: Bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide

                                    Q Mustard: 1,2-Bis(2-chloroethylthio)ethane

                                    T Mustard: Bis[2-(2-chloroethylthio)ethylether

                                    Lewisite I: 2-chlorovinylarsenious dichloride

                                    Lewisite II: Bis(2-chloroethenyl)arsinous chloride

                                    Lewisite III: Tris(2-chlorovinyl)arsine

                                    Lewisite Oxide

                                    Thiodiglycol

 

RPS can offer screening for other chemical agents and related chemicals in soil, water, swabs and a variety of other materials.