Hazardous or toxic waste destruction or containment – Containment – Solidification – vitrification – or cementation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2004-04-27
Bos, Steven (Department: 1754)
Hazardous or toxic waste destruction or containment
Containment
Solidification, vitrification, or cementation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06727400
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to means for deactivating toxic chemical agents. The present invention in particular relates to polymeric or resin deactivation substances or compositions which may be used for the deactivation of toxic chemical agents.
Toxic chemical agents are chemical substances in gaseous, liquid, or solid form, which may, for example, induce choking, blood poisoning, nerve poisoning, etc., in humans and other animals. Chemical warfare agents are examples of toxic chemical agents which may be treated in accordance with the present invention. The present invention will be described hereinafter, in particular, by way of example only, in relation to chemical warfare agents but is applicable to other toxic chemical agents such as pesticides for example.
Over the years, various highly toxic chemical warfare agents have been stockpiled by several nations. The chemical warfare agents include among other substances a variety of organophosphorus and organosulfur compounds. One commonly known chemical warfare agent is Bis-(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, also known as HD). The chemical warfare agents commonly known as G-agents are examples of highly toxic nerve agents; they include TABUN (GA), SARIN (GB), and SOMAN (GD); GD is pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate. The G-agents are broadly organic esters of substituted phosphoric acid.
The phosphonothiolates are in particular highly toxic chemical warfare nerve agents currently stockpiled by various governments. The most commonly known of these nerve agents is O-ethyl S-(2-diisopropylamino)ethyl methylphosphonothiolate which is known as VX. VX and its congeners having the phosphonothiolate structure of formula (I)
R
1
—S—P(═O)(R
2
)(OR
3
) (I)
wherein each of R
1
R
2
and R
3
is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an appropriate organic radical or organic functional group; R
1
may for example be selected from the group comprising (dialkylamino)alkyl wherein each alkyl group is independently selected from the group comprising straight and branched lower alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms ; R
2
may for example be selected from the group comprising straight and branched lower alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms; and R
3
may for example be selected from the group comprising straight and branched lower alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms. An alkyl group may for example be methyl, ethyl, isopropyl or the like.
Examples of known techniques for the deactivation of toxic chemical agents may be found in the following U.S. patents the entire contents of each of which is incorporated herein by reference: namely, U.S. Pat. Nos., 4,784,699, 4,874,532, 4,883,608, 5,069,797, 5,126,309, 5,143,621, 5,689,038, 5,710,358 and 5,859,064.
Methods used over the yeas to deactivate toxic chemical agents such as for example the above mentioned such chemical warfare agents have each had problems associated with them such as hazardous reaction products.
The reaction (e.g. hydrolysis) products of VX may, for example, include EA2192, which is nearly as toxic as G series agents; EA2192 is a phosphonothioic acid which has the same basic structure as VX except that R
3
is a hydrogen atom (see Formula (I) above). Thus, hydrolysis-based decontamination schemes are not effective against VX.
In view of the biological hazards associated with chemical warfare agents, there is thus a continuing interest in the development of decontamination or deactivation means for the disposal of unwanted stockpiles of chemical warfare agents such as, for example, the stockpiles of the nerve agent VX. There is in particular a continuing need for an effective neutralisation method for the deactivation of toxic chemical agents.
It would be advantageous to have a process for deactivating toxic chemical agents such as, for example, nerve agents at a rapid rate, the nerve agents being in a solid or fluid phase (e.g. in a gaseous or liquid phase), the deactivating agent being a non-aqueous solid phase deactivating agent.
It would in particular be advantageous to have a deactivation means which does not depend on the use of water in order to function, which is capable of use at low temperatures (e.g room temperatures); etc..
It would further be advantageous to have a process for rapidly and safely decontaminating large (e.g. military, commercial, etc..) quantities of such chemical agents.
The present invention relates generally to a resin composition or substance for the deactivation of toxic chemical agents; it in particular relates to halide or halogenated resins (e.g. halide impregnated resins) for the deactivation of toxic chemical agents (e.g. in solid, gas and/or liquid form).
Iodine/resin substances have been proposed for use as a demand disinfectant against biological agents, namely against microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses etc. As used herein, “biological agent” refers to hazardous biological organism including fungi, viruses and bacteria, (whether in the form of spores or otherwise), as well as eukaryotic parasites such as Giardia.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,817,860, 3,923,665, 4,238,477, 4,420,590, 5,431,908, and 5,639,452 describe such iodine/resin substances for devitalising microorganisms; the entire contents of each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,452, in particular discloses a (demand) disinfectant substance comprising an iodine impregnated ion exchange resin in which the iodine is more tenaciously associated with the resin than with previously known (demand) iodine impregnated resin disinfectants.
It has been determined that halogen/resin substances may be used for the deactivation of toxic chemical agents, i.e. agents other than biological agents.
Thus the present invention in a general aspect provides a method for deactivating a toxic chemical agent comprising contacting said toxic chemical agent with an halogenated resin. The expressions halogenated resin, halide-resin and the like are to be understood herein as including or relating to resin wherein halogen is absorbed or impregnated therein.
The terms “deactivate”, “deactivation” and the like are to be understood as meaning to render any such toxic chemical agent inactive, ineffective, or substantially less effective for causing harm to life or health, and particularly human life or health. Thus such (deactivation) contact is of course to be for a sufficient time and under conditions which are sufficient to produce a reaction product having less toxicity than said toxic chemical agent (e.g. contact with a deactivating amount of a halogenated resin).
The present invention in an additional aspect provides a method for reducing or eliminating unwanted or undesired stockpiles of a toxic chemical agent susceptible to deactivation (e.g oxidation) by halogen substance, which comprises deactivating a toxic chemical agent by contacting said toxic chemical agent (e.g. in a confining means) with an halogenated resin (i.e. with a deactivating amount of a halogenated resin). Such contact is of course to be for a sufficient time and under conditions which are sufficient to produce a reaction product having less toxicity than said toxic chemical agent. The confining means may be a sealed container, a chromatographic like column packed with halogenated resin, etc..
The present invention in another aspect provides a system for deactivating a toxic chemical agent susceptible to oxidation by halogen substance, said toxic chemical agent being in a fluid phase, said system comprising
means for providing a fluid path for the movement of fluid therethrough, and
a halogenated resin disposed in said fluid path such that toxic chemical agent in said fluid phase passing through said fluid path is able to be brought into contact with said resin and be deactivated thereby.
The present invention in a further aspect provides a method for deactivating a toxic chemical agent, said toxic chemical agent being in a fluid phase (i.e. in a liquid, vapour or gas), said method comprising passing said toxic chemical agent in said fluid phase through fluid path means air over an halogenated resin such th
Blaney Lynette
DeJarme Lindy
Laderoute Norbert
Messier Pierre
Moorehead John
Bos Steven
Goodwin & Procter LLP
Kuhar Anthony
Triosyn Holdings, Inc.
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