Chemical Defense Collective Protection Technology. Volume 2. Effects of Airlock Airflow Pattern, Clothing, and Exposure Concentration on Vapor Transport

Procedures for processing personnel through chemical defense collective shelters were employed to examine the contamination of Toxic Safe Areas (TSAs), in shelters, as a result of transport of chemical agent vapor on clothing underlayers. The quantity of vapor thus transported into the TSAs was examined as a function of: airlock airflow pattern; type of outer clothing worn during exposure; and vapor exposure concentration. A simulated Survivable Collective Protection Shelter Contamination Control Area facility, at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine (Brooks Air Force Base, Texas), was employed. Personnel--dressed either in fatigues over T-shirt and jockey shorts, or in Flyer's charcoal under-coverall (United Kingdom) over aircrew undershirt and drawers--were first exposed to chemical warfare agent simulant (methyl salicylate) vapor, and were then processed through the Liquid Hazard Area and Vapor Hazard Area. Processing included passage through either the original design airlock or a modified design airlock before entry into the TSA. Inside the TSA, individual subjects were isolated within sealed glass offgassing booths and the vapor offgassed from each subject over a 2-h period was measured. Data indicate that the charcoal undercoverall (UK) reduced the quantity of vapor transported into the TSA, and hence increased the protection of the individual more than did the fatigues. However, no statistical evidence of airlock differences was found. Keywords: chemical defense shelter processing; chemical agent simulant; mustard simulant; methyl salicylate; and oil of wintergreen. See also Volume 1, AD-A178 988.