Chemical warfare agents: development and applications of sample preparation approaches

Abstract

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are extremely toxic compounds. Although they are forbidden to be used in warfare, they may be deliberately used by terrorists. Hence they remain a significant threat to the military and the civilian population. The need for reliable methods to detect the exposure and contamination of CWAs is essential. Since environmental and forensic matrices are complex and most instruments cannot handle complex samples directly, sample preparation is normally necessary in the analysis of CWAs and related substances. In this chapter, sample preparation approaches to CWAs, such as liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, liquid-phase microextraction, and solid-phase microextraction, are highlighted. The focus is on environmental and forensic samples. Since the range of publications is extensive, only the most relevant and recent ones are considered. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.