Acute Inhalation Toxicity of Chemically Neutralized/Hydrolyzed VX in Rats. SCWO Effluent Prior to Evaporation SCWO Effluent Post-Evaluation

The chemical agent VX was neutralized through a series of chemical and oxidative reactions to produce two markedly less toxic effluent streams. The first stream, which came directly from a Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) reaction was identified as SCWO Effluent Prior to Evaporation. The second stream, which went through an evaporation/distillation process after the SCWO reaction was identified as SCWO Effluent Post-Evaporation. An acute inhalation toxicity test was conducted on each of the two effluents per Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines. Separate groups of Sprague/Dawley rats were exposed for 1 hr to an aerosol concentration of 1.9 mg(L (post/evaporation effluent) and to a vapor concentration of 5.4 mg(L (post-evaporation effluent). The rats did not exhibit any signs of irritation or overt toxicity during the exposure or post-exposure period. No deaths occurred within the 14-day post-exposure period, indicating that the two effluents were less toxic than a DOT Class 6.1 poison via inhalation. The effluent streams from the SCWO reaction of VX do not appear to pose an acute inhalation hazard. Prepared in collaboration with GEO-Centers, Inc., Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.