Exposure status of sea-dumped chemical warfare agents in the Baltic Sea.

About 50 000 tons of chemical weapons (CW) were dumped to the Baltic Sea after the Second World War. Munitions are located in the deep areas of the Baltic Sea, and there they act as a point source of contamination to the ecosystem. Corroded munitions release chemical warfare agents (CWAs) to nearby water and sediments.

Identification of Degradation Products of Sea-Dumped Chemical Warfare Agent-Related Phenylarsenic Chemicals in Marine Sediment.

Previously unknown phenylarsenic chemicals that originated from chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have been detected and identified in sediment samples collected from the vicinity of chemical munition dumpsites. Nontargeted screening by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) was used for detection of 14 unknown CWA-related phenylarsenic chemicals. Methylated forms of Clark I/II, Adamsite, and phenyldichloroarsine were detected in all analyzed sediment samples, and their identification was based on synthesized chemicals.

Detection of Chemical Warfare Agent-Related Phenylarsenic Compounds in Marine Biota Samples by LC-HESI/MS/MS.

A new method has been developed to determine oxidation products of three chemical warfare agent (CWA) related phenylarsenic compounds from marine biota samples by a liquid chromatography-heated electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HESI/MS/MS). The target chemicals were oxidation products of Adamsite (DM[ox]), Clark I (DPA[ox]), and triphenylarsine (TPA[ox]). Method was validated within the concentration range of 1-5, 0.

Characterization of Ricin and R. communis Agglutinin Reference Materials.

Ricinus communis intoxications have been known for centuries and were attributed to the toxic protein ricin. Due to its toxicity, availability, ease of preparation, and the lack of medical countermeasures, ricin attracted interest as a potential biological warfare agent. While different technologies for ricin analysis have been established, hardly any universally agreed-upon "gold standards" are available.

Comparison of in vitro metabolism and cytotoxicity of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin.

Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are the major active components in pepper spray products, which are widely used for law enforcement and self-protection. The use of pepper sprays, due to their irreversible and other health effects has been under a strong debate. In this study, we compared metabolism and cytotoxicity of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin using human and pig liver cell fractions and human lung carcinoma cell line (A549) in vitro.

Results of a Saxitoxin Proficiency Test Including Characterization of Reference Material and Stability Studies.

A saxitoxin (STX) proficiency test (PT) was organized as part of the Establishment of Quality Assurance for the Detection of Biological Toxins of Potential Bioterrorism Risk (EQuATox) project. The aim of this PT was to provide an evaluation of existing methods and the European laboratories' capabilities for the analysis of STX and some of its analogues in real samples. Homogenized mussel material and algal cell materials containing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were produced as reference sample matrices.

Determination of mustard gas hydrolysis products thiodiglycol and thiodiglycol sulfoxide by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after trifluoroacetylation.

A method for detecting mustard gas degradation products thiodiglycol (TDG) and thiodiglycol sulfoxide (TDGO) in water and sediment samples using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) after derivatization with 1-(trifluoroacetyl)imidazole (TFAI) was described. Selected reaction monitoring mode (SRM) of tandem mass spectrometry was developed for analysis of TDG and TDGO derivatives while analysis by gas chromatography-atomic emission detector (GC-AED) was performed using the 181 nm sulfur canal. TFAI derivatization conditions were optimized and the method validated.

Methodology for national risk analysis and prioritization of toxic industrial chemicals.

The identification of chemicals that pose the greatest threat to human health from incidental releases is a cornerstone in public health preparedness for chemical threats. The present study developed and applied a methodology for the risk analysis and prioritization of industrial chemicals to identify the most significant chemicals that pose a threat to public health in Finland. The prioritization criteria included acute and chronic health hazards, physicochemical and environmental hazards, national production and use quantities, the physicochemical properties of the substances, and the history of substance-related incidents.

Evaluation of a chemical munition dumpsite in the Baltic Sea based on geophysical and chemical investigations.

This paper discusses the results of geophysical and chemical investigations carried out in a chemical munition dumpsite in the southern Baltic Sea, east of the island of Bornholm. After WW2 over 32,000 tons of chemical war material was dumped here including shells and bombs as well as small drums and containers. The geophysical investigations combined very-high-resolution seismics and gradiometric measurements.

Environmental hazards of sea-dumped chemical weapons.

Does the post-WWII burial at sea of chemical weapons still pose a human and environmental risk?