Mass spectrometry in identification of ecotoxicants including chemical and biological warfare agents

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2005.02.040· OSTI ID:20721944

Lebedev, Albert T ^[1]

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1. Organic Chemistry Department, Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation)

Mass spectrometry is a unique tool to detect and identify trace levels of organic and bioorganic compounds as well as microorganisms in the environment. The range of potential chemical warfare (CW) and biological warfare (BW) agents is very broad. An important advantage of mass spectrometry over other techniques involves potential for full spectrum detection of chemical and biological agents including mid-spectrum materials (i.e. bioactive peptides, toxins, etc.) for which biological approaches are inadequate. Being very fast (seconds and minutes), extremely sensitive (zeptomoles 10{sup -21}), and informative (detailed qualitative and quantitative composition of mixtures containing hundreds of chemicals), mass spectrometry is a principal analytical tool at the sites of destruction of CW. Due to its unique features, mass spectrometry is applied not only for the detection of CW agents, but for the analysis of products of metabolism and degradation of these agents in organisms or environment as well. The present paper deals with some examples of successful application of mass spectrometry for the analyses of ecotoxicants, chemical warfare agents, explosives, and microorganisms including biology warfare agents.

• OSTI ID: 20721944
• Journal Information: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Journal Name: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology Journal Issue: 2,suppl.1 Vol. 207; ISSN TXAPA9; ISSN 0041-008X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
ENVIRONMENT
EXPLOSIVES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
PEPTIDES
TOXINS