A Modular Research Tool for Evaluation of Toxic Chemical Aerosol Detectors
DINESH DURÁN JIMÉNEZ, Tom Venema, Duurt Alkema, Ruud Busker, Arjan van Wuijckhuijse,
TNO Abstract Number: 728
Working Group: Health-Related Aerosols
AbstractConcerns over the possibility of deliberate release of low volatile chemical warfare agents and highly toxic pharmaceutical based agents as aerosols has raised the need for a critical technology assessment of the current detection and protection capabilities of armed forces and law enforcement agencies. We here present the realization of a tool to evaluate chemical detectors against chemical aerosols, i.e. the Chemical Hot Aerosol Research Tool (CHART).
CHART has been developed for Test and Evaluation applications of military off-the-shelf and commercial off-the-shelf detectors for highly toxic chemical aerosols in a safe and representative environment. Advantageously, CHART has been developed in a modular fashion, so it can additionally be exploited for physical protection, toxicology and agent fate assessment studies.
Liquids and solids can be dispersed in an aerosol nebulization chamber. A broad dynamic particle size range, including the required particle range of 0.5 to 3 µm for detector evaluation can be offered to the system under test at a dynamic mass range of 0.01 – 20 mg/m3. The aerosol generated is characterized in real time by an optical particle counter, scanning mobility particle sizer and aerodynamic particle sizer detection.
The present study focuses on the current characteristics and future capabilities of the CHART as a validated, safe, toxic chemical aerosols Test and Evaluation tool for detectors. Evidently, in the design of the CHART system emphasis was on laboratory safety and optimal containment of toxic chemicals.
CHART provides a safe and controlled system for generation and containment of toxic aerosols consisting of solid or liquid particles. The set-up and validation of the CHART system will be presented, exemplified by preliminary detector tests.
This work was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Defence under grants V1802 and V2207.