Movement of chemical warfare agent simulants through porous media

A measurement protocol is documented and data presented to characterize the permeation of chemical warfare agent simulants through the porous con- struction materials brick, cinder block, gypsum wall board, and wood. These data will be used to develop guidelines for access ('reentry') to potentially contaminated properties if nerve or vesicant agents are released during any phase of the US Department of the Army's Chemical Stock- pile Disposal Program. A novel permeation cell design allowed sampling of air volumes adjacent to the spiked face, breakthrough face and lateral face of each test medium at two temperatures. Simulant movement through wood is nearly always in the direction of the wood grain. Two-dimensional breakthrough was observed in brick and gypsum wall board. The sulfur mustard simulant broke through all test media in less than 60 min; nerve agent simulant breakthrough required several hours. Surface decontamination of wood with high test hypochlorite is 95% effective.