engleski

Identification of the contents and shelf-life of field-kits for the detection of organophosphorus compounds in the air

Field kits for detection of organophosphorus compounds in the air were found on the territory of Croatia, in army barracks liberated during the 1991/1992 war. The field kits were found without description of the content and without operating instructions. The sets of glass indicator tubes of the kits were marked with serial numbers and validity expiration dates ranging from 1974 to 1992, but their manufacturer was not declared. Through 1993 and 1995 fourteen sets of glass indicator tubes were analyzed for their content and tested for their validity. It was found that one vial out of two placed in each indicator tube contains a butyrylcholinesterase preparation and the other a mixture of a cholinesterase substrate with a pH-sensitive indicator. The substrate was identified not to be a thiocholine ester. The absorption spectrum of the pH-sensitive indicator corresponded to the spectrum of cresol red. The validity of the indicator tubes was tested with a solution of O, O"-dimethyl 2, 2-dichlorovinyl phosphate (DDVP). All tested sets were still functioning, which means that their shelf-life was longer than declared.

organophosphorus compounds; detection of organophosphorus compounds; field-kits for the army

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