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Nerve agents, one of the most toxic chemical warfare agents, seriously threaten human life and public security. The high toxicity of nerve agents makes the development of fluorescence sensors with suitable limit of detection challenging. Here, we propose a sensor design based on a conjugated microporous polymer film for the detection of diethyl chlorophosphate, a substitute of Sarin, with low detection limit of 2.5 ppt. This is due to the synergy of the susceptible on-off effect of hybridization and de-hybridization of hybrid local and charge transfer (HLCT) materials and the microporous structure of CMP films facilitating the inward diffusion of DCP vapors, and the extended π-conjugated structure. This strategy provides a new idea for the future development of gas sensors. In addition, a portable sensor is successfully integrated based on TCzP-CMP films that enables wireless, remote, ultrasensitive, and real-time detection of DCP vapors. The high toxicity of nerve agents makes the development of fluorescence sensors with suitable limit of detection challenging. Here, the authors propose a sensor design based on a conjugated microporous polymer film for the detection of diethyl chlorophosphate, a substitute of Sarin, with low detection limit of 2.5 ppt.

Since its first employment in World War I, chlorine gas has often been used as chemical warfare agent. Unfortunately, after suspected release, it is difficult to prove the use of chlorine as a chemical weapon and unambiguous verification is still challenging. Furthermore, similar evidence can be found for exposure to chlorine gas and other, less harmful chlorinating agents. Therefore, the current study aims to use untargeted high resolution mass spectrometric analysis of chlorinated biomarkers together with machine learning techniques to be able to differentiate between exposure of plants to various chlorinating agents. Green spire (Euonymus japonicus), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), and feathergrass (Stipa tenuifolia) were exposed to 1000 and 7500 ppm chlorine gas and household bleach, pool bleach, and concentrated sodium hypochlorite. After sample preparation and digestion, the samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). More than 150 chlorinated compounds including plant fatty acids, proteins, and DNA adducts were tentatively identified. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) showed clear discrimination between chlorine gas and bleach exposure and grouping of the samples according to chlorine concentration and type of bleach. The identity of a set of novel biomarkers was confirmed using commercially available or synthetic reference standards. Chlorodopamine, dichlorodopamine, and trichlorodopamine were identified as specific markers for chlorine gas exposure. Fenclonine (Cl-Phe), 3-chlorotyrosine (Cl-Tyr), 3,5-dichlorotyrosine (di-Cl-Tyr), and 5-chlorocytosine (Cl-Cyt) were more abundantly present in plants after chlorine contact. In contrast, the DNA adduct 2-amino-6-chloropurine (Cl-Ade) was identified in both types of samples at a similar level. None of these chlorinated biomarkers were observed in untreated samples. The DNA adducts Cl-Cyt and Cl-Ade could clearly be identified even three months after the actual exposure. This study demonstrates the feasibility of forensic biomarker profiling in plants to distinguish between exposure to chlorine gas and bleach. [Display omitted] •Novel chlorinated biomarkers in vegetation were analyzed by LC-HRMS/MS.•LDA facilitated classification of plants exposed to either chlorine gas or bleach.•Chlorinated DNA and protein adducts were identified using reference standards.•DNA adducts in plants could be detected more than three months after exposure.

Nerve agents such as Sarin, Soman, and Tabun are among the most lethal chemical warfare agents, classified as mass destruction agents due to their extreme toxicity and rapid disruption of the nervous system. These highly volatile and easily dispersible compounds can be deployed in warfare or acts of terrorism, causing fatal respiratory failure, seizures, and irreversible nerve damage even at minimal exposure. The urgency of detecting these agents with high precision is critical for global security and counterterrorism efforts. To address this challenge, a highly sensitive photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor with an elliptical cladding and circular core (E-PCF) is designed for the rapid and accurate detection of nerve agents in the terahertz (THz) spectrum. The sensor employs circular air holes in the vestibule region to enhance light-matter interaction, optimizing detection through key performance metrics such as relative sensitivity, effective material loss, and confinement loss. Using two materials, such as silica glass and Zeonex as background materials, the proposed sensor demonstrates exceptional sensitivity and minimal loss. Numerical analysis within the 1.6–3.6 THz range reveals outstanding performance for Sarin (99.6% relative sensitivity, 3 × 10⁻ 13 dB/m confinement loss), Soman (98.8% relative sensitivity, 1.1 × 10⁻¹² dB/m loss), and Tabun (98% relative sensitivity, 7.6 × 10⁻ 11 dB/m loss). With its exceptional optical properties, silica glass ensures highly reliable detection, making the proposed sensor a powerful tool for counterterrorism efforts, environmental monitoring, industrial hazard detection, and military defense. This innovative PCF-based sensing technology marks a major breakthrough in chemical warfare agent detection, providing a fast, precise, and efficient solution for identifying highly toxic substances that pose severe threats to public safety and national security.

Nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare (NBC) agents cause an inevitable threat to defense forces and civilians. Exposure to these toxic agents causes a lot of damage to lives. One can avoid the damage of these toxic agents by taking appropriate preventive measures. Respiratory protection is obviously necessary when military personnel or civilians get bounded by such type of noxious situation as contaminant-free air is then required for breathing and it can only be provided by means of a proper gas mask and relevant canister. In purification of contaminated atmospheres, activated carbon has so far met with outstanding success. It removes toxic chemicals either by chemical or physical adsorption from the contaminated air. When any toxic chemicals get adsorbed on the modified impregnated carbon’s surface, they usually adsorb there by means of chemical reactions. Destruction of adsorbed toxic substances is expected by such a reactive carbon. In this perspective, an attempt has been made to review the literature from past decades on the removal of toxic chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and radioactive content from air stream in case of any nuclear, biological, and chemical attack by selectively modifying or impregnating the activated carbon surface. This review also covers some important adsorption properties of materials being used in gas mask filters for effective removal of chemicals from airstream. The probable removal mechanisms of various chemical warfare agents and radioactive content have also been reviewed.

Sarin is a highly toxic nerve agent classified by the Chemical Weapon Convention as a Schedule 1 chemical with no use other than to kill or injure. Moreover, in recent times, chemical warfare agents have been deployed against both military and civilian populations. Chemical warfare agents always contain minor impurities that can provide important chemical attribution signatures (CAS) that can aid in forensic investigations. In order to understand the trace molecular composition of sarin, various analytical approaches including GC–MS, LC–MS and NMR were used to determine the chemical markers of a set of sarin samples. Precursor materials were studied and the full characterisation of a synthetic process was undertaken in order to provide new insights into potential chemical attribution signatures for this agent. Several compounds that were identified in the precursor were also found in the sarin samples linking it to its method of preparation. The identification of these CAS contributes critical information about a synthetic route to sarin, and has potential for translation to related nerve agents.

Chemical warfare agents continue to pose a real threat to humanity, despite their prohibition under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Sarin is one of the most toxic and lethal representatives of nerve agents. The methodology for the targeted analysis of known sarin metabolites has reached great heights, but little attention has been paid to the untargeted analysis of biological samples of victims exposed to this deadly poisonous substance. At present, the development of computational and statistical methods of analysis offers great opportunities for finding new metabolites or understanding the mechanisms of action or effect of toxic substances on the organism. This study presents the targeted LC-MS/MS determination of methylphosphonic acid and isopropyl methylphosphonic acid in the urine of rats exposed to a non-lethal dose of sarin, as well as the untarget urine analysis by LC-HRMS. Targeted analysis of polar acidic sarin metabolites was performed on a mixed-mode reversed-phase anion-exchange column, and untargeted analysis on a conventional reversed-phase C18 column. Isopropyl methylphosphonic acid was detected and quantified within 5 days after subcutaneous injection of sarin at a dose of 1/4 LD50. A combination of generalized additive mixed models and dose-response analysis with database searches using accurate mass of precursor ions and corresponding MS/MS spectra enabled us to propose new six potential biomarkers of biological response to exposure. The results confirm the well-known fact that sarin poisoning has a significant impact on the victims’ metabolome, with inhibition of acetylcholinesterase being just the first step and trigger of the complex toxicodynamic response.

The state-of-the-art centre will help to enforce a near-universal ban on certain chemicals and train analysts from around the world. The state-of-the-art centre will help to enforce a near-universal ban on certain chemicals and train analysts from around the world. Credit: OPCW/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0) OPCW inspector training on using a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

The determination of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and their toxic degradation products (DPs) has become increasingly important for public and military safety in recent years. We focused on assessing the possibility of the HPLC-ICP-MS analytical technique to verify the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This technique enables the identification and determination of minimal concentrations (ppt range) of elements in various matrices. This fact is important for the determination of CWAs and other highly harmful compounds, even small amounts of which can have serious consequences for living organisms. We have critically analysed the results of scientific research on the identification and quantitative determination of extremely toxic organophosphorus, organosulfur and organoarsenic CWAs, their derivatives and their degradation products using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

The peroxide-based decontaminants had attracted great attention for degradation of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) because of their high performance, non-corrosive and environmental-friendly merits. Hydrogen peroxide can be activated by some organic activators to enhance the oxidation ability. In this work, a novel formula based on sodium percarbonate (SPC) complexed with 1-acetylguanidine (ACG) was investigated for decontamination of sulfur mustard (HD) and VX as CWAs. In the experimental results, the active species acetyl peroxide imide acid in the formula aqueous solution was detected in situ by Raman and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The optimized conditions of the decontamination formula (SPC/ACG) were suggested that, the molar ratio of active oxygen and activator ([O]/[ACG]) was 1:1 while the pH value of the formula aqueous solution was about 9. To achieve the decontamination percentage over 99%, the molar ratio of active oxygen to CWA ((O)/(CWA)) needed to be at least 3 for HD and 7 for VX. Meanwhile, the degradation products detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and ion chromatography (IC) indicated that the oxidation and elimination reactions should have occurred on HD molecule, while the degradation of VX mainly originate from the nucleophilic substitution and oxidation reactions.

G nerve agents are colorless, odorless, and lethal chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The threat of CWAs, which cause critical damage to humans, continues to exist, e.g., in warfare or terrorist attacks. Therefore, it is important to be able to detect these agents rapidly and with a high degree of sensitivity. In this study, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) array device with three SAW sensors coated with different sensing materials and one uncoated sensor was tested to determine the most suitable material for the detection of nerve agents and related simulants. The three materials used were polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), 1-benzyl-3-phenylthiourea (TU-1), and 1-ethyl-3-(4-fluorobenzyl) thiourea (TU-2). The SAW sensor coated with the POSS-based polymer showed the highest sensitivity and the fastest response time at concentrations below the median lethal concentration (LCt50) for tabun (GA) and sarin (GB). Also, it maintained good performance over the 180 days of exposure tests for dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). A comparison of the sensitivities of analyte vapors also confirmed that the sensitivity for DMMP was similar to that for GB. Considering that DMMP is a simulant which physically and chemically resembles GB, the sensitivity to a real agent of the sensor coated with POSS could be predicted. Therefore, POSS, which has strong hydrogen bond acid properties and which showed similar reaction characteristics between the simulant and the nerve agent, can be considered a suitable material for nerve agent detection.