Identification of chemical warfare agent in air samples using capillary column gas chromatography with three simultaneous detectors

Abstract

Abstract An identification method for chemical warfare agents using a capillary column gas chromatograph equipped with a thermal desorption cold trap injector and three different detectors is describ ed. The most reliable identification parameters were the retention indices. The relative photoinonization detector/flame ionization detector response ratios normalized to aniline gave additional information about all compounds, whereas the response ratios calculated for the thermionic flame ionization and thermionic photo‐ionization detection gave reliable results only for the nerve agents soman and tabun.