Advice on chemical weapons sample stability and storage provided by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to increase investigative capabilities worldwide

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) 2018-10, Vol.188, p.808-832
• Main Authors: Timperley, Christopher M., Forman, Jonathan E., Abdollahi, Mohammad, Al-Amri, Abdullah Saeed, Alonso, Isel Pascual, Baulig, Augustin, Borrett, Veronica, Cariño, Flerida A., Curty, Christophe, Berrutti, David González, Kovarik, Zrinka, Martínez-Álvarez, Roberto, Mikulak, Robert, Mourão, Nicia Maria Fusaro, Ponnadurai, Ramasami, Neffe, Slawomir, Raza, Syed K., Rubaylo, Valentin, Takeuchi, Koji, Tang, Cheng, Trifirò, Ferruccio, van Straten, Francois Mauritz, Vanninen, Paula S., Zaitsev, Volodymyr, Waqar, Farhat, Zina, Mongia Saïd, Blum, Marc-Michael, Gregg, Hugh, Fischer, Elena, Sun, Siqing, Yang, Pei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical forensics; Chemical warfare agent; OPCW scientific advisory board; Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); Scheduled chemical; Stability
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.04.022

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has provided advice on the long-term storage and stability of samples collected in the context of chemical weapons investigations. The information they compiled and reviewed is beneficial to all laboratories that carry out analysis of samples related to chemical warfare agents and is described herein. The preparation of this report was undertaken on request from the OPCW Director-General. The main degradation products for chemicals on the Schedules in the Annex on Chemicals of the Chemical Weapons Convention are tabulated. The expertise of the 25 scientists comprising the SAB, a review of the scientific literature on environmental and biomedical sample analysis, and answers to a questionnaire from chemists of nine OPCW Designated Laboratories, were drawn upon to provide the advice. Ten recommendations to ensure the long-term storage and stability of samples collected in relation to the potential use of chemical weapons were provided and are repeated here for the consideration of all laboratories worldwide. [Display omitted] •The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) considered the long-term storage and stability of samples collected in the context of chemical weapons investigations.•The resulting advice, useful for all laboratories that conduct analysis on samples containing chemical warfare agents, their precursors and/or degradation products, is described.•The scientific literature on environmental and biomedical sample analysis, and the main degradation products for chemicals on the Schedules in the Annex on Chemicals of the Chemical Weapons Convention, is reviewed.•Ten recommendations to ensure the long-term storage and stability of samples collected in relation to the potential use of chemical weapons are provided.