Thermal desorption-gas chromatography of some organophosphates and S-mustard after trapping on Tenax

Thermal desorption from Tenax coupled with gas chromatographic analysis was performed with bis (2-chloroethyl) sulphide (s-mustard), O,O-diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP), O-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin), O-(1,2,2-trimethylpropyl) methylphosphonofluoridate (soman) and O,O-dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). Experiments with humidified test atmospheres (48% relative humidity at 20 degree C) of S-mustard, DFP and soman revealed that the moisture did not impair the sampling of these compounds on Tenax or their thermal desorption from that sorbent. Tenax tubes loaded with the three agents from humidified atmospheres could be stored for up to 2 months without a decresae in recovery.