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Chemical Threat Destruction and New Methodologies

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MRIGlobal Plays a Role in Chemical Threat Detection, Analysis, and Destruction

In July 2023, the last chemical munition of the United States’ declared chemical weapons stockpile was irreversibly destroyed in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), making it the last of the chemical weapons from the stockpiles declared by all States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to be destroyed, as confirmed by The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Following more than 100 years of these countries developing, stockpiling, and using chemical weapons on the battlefield, this was a monumental step in the destruction of these threats. The program began destruction of these chemical weapons in June 2019 and over the next four years, destroyed more than 101,000 rockets and projectiles containing mustard agent or nerve agents, GB (sarin) or VX.   

For more than 30 years, MRIGlobal has supported several programs focused on chemical threat detection, analysis, and destruction. Among other projects, our researchers have tested and validated equipment to accurately determine the presence of chemical weapons and assess potential human exposure; Verified the implementation of historical and confirmation methods at the new airborne exposure levels, which helped ensure the health and safety of on-site destruction teams; Performed analytical method development for the detection and confirmation of several different chemical weapons in a single analysis; and, assessed rocket warheads to assure their stability through the disposal process. 

Destruction of Chemical Weapons
Based on OPCW guidance for destruction, a State Party can select and implement the appropriate destruction technologies for its chemical weapons by which chemicals are converted in an essentially irreversible way to a form unsuitable for production of chemical weapons and which – in an irreversible manner – renders munitions and other devices unusable as such. A chemical agent, for example, can be neutralised or incinerated, while unfilled munitions and other devices can simply be cut apart. 

The CWC also requires State Parties to assign the highest priority to ensuring the safety of people and to protecting the environment during the implementation of its obligation. The methods employed must comply with national and international safety and emissions regulations, and cannot include open-pit burning, land burial, or dumping in any body of water. 

 

Hear more on the “Chemical Threats” episode of “Science Diction,” where our experts discuss their use in conflicts around the world, how they’re evolving, and how we’re keeping up with emerging threats.

Conventional Destruction Technologies
Chemical threat destruction technologies have been developed to destroy assembled unitary chemical weapons (e.g., artillery projectiles, mortars, air bombs, rockets, rocket warheads, spray tanks), bulk chemical weapons agents, binary munitions, and recovered chemical weapons munitions. 

These technologies can be divided in two main groups: 

  1. High temperature destruction technologies like plasma pyrolysis, incineration and explosion chambers, with the associated off-gas treatment system; and,
  2. Low-temperature destruction technologies like neutralization (i.e., using neutralizing agents or a decontamination solution such as monoethanolamine, RD-4M or aqueous NaOH) and hydrolysis followed by secondary treatments of the resulting by-products (i.e., effluent, reaction mass or hydrolysate) like bituminization (encapsulation), biodegradation or supercritical water oxidation, prior to final disposal in accordance to national regulatory provisions. 

The selected destruction technology should minimize the risk of chemical agents being released during storage, transportation and disposal operations, as well as reduce to a minimum the public health and environmental impact from process effluents. These destruction activities are required to be in compliance with national safety and environmental standards, while also being verified by the OPCW. Their goal is to confirm the complete destruction of chemical weapons, providing confidence regarding the integrity of the destruction process and to ensure the non-diversion of chemical weapons. 

New Methods in Development
Though the OPCW has been successful in eradicating declared chemical weapons, some – like sarin, soman, and Novichoks that we wrote about in “Emerging and Re-Chemical Threats (part 3)” – are still used in conflicts around the world. Researchers are taking several unique approaches to combat these and other weapons.  

Toxic Industrial Chemicals
Research to address the threat of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) is also progressing, as they can be just as dangerous as CWAs and are far more readily available to the public. Toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) such as chlorine gas (Cl2) pose a significant threat to human health and security as evidenced by their extensive use as a non-scheduled chemical warfare agent since WWI, most notably in Syria. This usage has historically been difficult to verify after the fact due to the short life of the gas in the environment. Recent studies have determined new detection methods that can identify biomarkers in plants with enough sensitivity to differentiate between chlorine gas and industrial bleach exposure, biomarkers in human hair for retrospective exposure verification, and even specific chlorinated organic compounds in concrete decades after exposure. MRIGlobal participates in extensive research in instrument and sensor testing to detect TICs in the environment in both real-time and after the fact. 

Biomarker Detection
For more than 100 years, chlorine gas has also been used as a CWA. Unfortunately, proving its use can be challenging, as similar chemical evidence can be found following exposure to the much less harmful chlorinating agents. Recent research aims to use untargeted high resolution mass spectrometric analysis of chlorinated biomarkers together with machine learning techniques to differentiate between exposure of plants to various chlorinating agents. This study demonstrates the feasibility of forensic biomarker profiling in plants to distinguish between exposure to chlorine gas and bleach. 

These and other techniques are being developed to combat CWAs and other threats on the battlefield and the home front.

 

GETTING STARTED AT MRIGLOBAL 
Contact MRIGlobal to further understand our work in defense against chemical and biological threats. We work with our clients to test and evaluate current methods to detect, prevent, decontaminate, protect, and destroy these materials.   

If you are part of an agency, business, or academic institution seeking assistance with a project, use our Project Quote Tool to get started.   

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