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File: 970101_sep96_decls19_0005.txt
Subject: COVER SHEET FOR DOCUMENT TRANSMISSION
Unit: OTSG
Parent Organization: HSC
Box ID: BX003205
Folder Title: USE OF CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT TOPICAL SKIL PROTECTANT
Document Number: 1
Folder Seq #: 13
excess, however, so that large amounts of the [CD 1536 cream components would have to be present to
destroy the decontam!nant active Ingredients. That Is unlikely. AJso, the reaction products resulting from
those reactions are not likely to be particularly troublesome. The salts produced from the DS2 reactions
will still be water. soluble and easily rinsed away with water. Extensive oxidation of the stearate, amide
and glycol by STB will produce a mixture of acids but these will exist as the calcium salts due to the
high basicity of the STB and will probably be washed away with the excess STB slurry.
STB In dry form is used In some decontamination operations, especially during the donning and
doffing of protective gear during personal equipment decontamination. Here the contact between the
ICD 1536 cream and the decontaminant may be more likely. As with any organic material, contact
between that material and the dry form of STB Is to be avoided. fires can result from the exothermic
reactions Involved. Warnings hould have to be provided to the users of the ICD 1536 ceam.
Army doctrine directs the use of the skin decontamination kh, M25SAI. on personal gear during
Basic Soldier Skills decontamination and during the MOPP gear exchanges as part of Hasty and
Deliberate Decontam!natlon. These operations present the most likely situations for contact between the
ICD 1536 cream and a decontaminant. Reaction between the ICD 1536 cream Ingredients (stearates and
acetic acid) and the base In Packet I of the M258Al kft is likely. In this case the potential for destruction
of a fairly large proportion of the reactivity Is greater than with DS2 or STB; the reactive Ingredients of
the M25SAI kft are present In low concerrration. Reaction between the chloramine In Packet If and the
diglycol or stearamide In the ICD 1536 cream Is also possible. Recent work on the M258Al kft In
Research Directorate suggests that those reactions may be slow compared to the time allowed for the
operation Itself. In both cases the operational Impact of the proposed reactions Is unknown. Testing on
the M258Al has shown that a considerable portion of the decontamination achieved Is accomplished via
physical removal of the agent. This mechanism will stiff be operative even ff the reactivity were to be
destroyed by the ICD 1536 cream. During the Basic Soldier Skills and Hasty operations the objective Is
removal of the liquid contamination to prevent spread. MOPP levels are not reduced as a result of these
operations, so small reductions in decontamination efficacy would be operationally Insignificant. The
MOPP gear exchange portion of Deliberate Decontamination, however, Is Intended to reduce
contamination to hazard free levels. In this case reduction In efficiency may have an lmpacl
The recently adopted M291 skin decontamination kh wi:l be repfacing the M258Al In the near
future. Testing In Decontamination Systems Division has shown that the M291 kft Is suitable for personal
equipment decontamlnrlon as well. Efficiencies of decontamination are In the range of those achieved
by the M258Al and, as for the M25SAI, are somewhat dependen, on the agent and the Identity of the
surface being decontaminated. The U.S. Army Chemical School has concurred In the suggestion that
Interim guidance to the field be Issued permitting use of the M291 kh for personal equipment
pending fielding of a larger and more convenient version specifically for this purpose,
the XMM. MRIDC plans testing as part of the ICD 1536 cream program to evaluate Impact of the
presence of the ICD 1536 cream on the efficacy of skin decontamination by the M291; MRIDC does not
plan, however, any testing to evaluate efficacy on equ!pmenl No data are now available. AJthough
there will be no chemical Interference resulting from reaction of [CD 1536 cream residues with the M291,
there may be an Impact on the physical removal mechanism. The M291, being a sorbent based system,
Is most effective In removal of liquid contaminants partial removal of solids comes about as a result of
the rubbing of the M291 pad on the surface. It Is not known whether ICD 1536 cream residues on
equipment surfaces would trap contaminants making them and the ICD 1536 cream residues difficult to
remove with a powder system or whether the [CD 1536 cream residues would make the agent liquid
more accessible for removal. As %With the M258Al. operation Impact Is likely to be much larger and more
Important for use during Deliberate Decontamination.
C. Proposed Future Tasks.
There exists a considerable data base on the efficacy of the M25BAl and M291 on personal
equipment. These experiments were performed vitthin the last 3 years on full size pieces of equipment
These data Indicate the It Is possible to find differences In decontamination efficacy of a few percent
reliably at the 95% confidence level. The experiments are large, however. and time consuming.
4
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Document 12 f:/Week-36/BX003205/USE OF CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT TOPICAL SKIL PROTECTANT/cover sheet for document transmission:12249609312320
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003205
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = USE OF CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT TOPICAL SKIL PROTECTANT
Folder Seq # = 13
Subject = COVER SHEET FOR DOCUMENT TRANSMISSION
Document Seq # = 1
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 24-DEC-1996