Decontamination of the chemical warfare agent simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate by means of large-area low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma

Dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a chemical simulant of the nerve gas GB, was decontaminated with a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma. The decontamination efficiency was measured qualitatively by means of Fourier transform spectroscopy and quantitatively by means of gas chromatography. With helium gas only, 10 g/m(2) of DMMP on an aluminum surface was 99.9% decontaminated in 2 min, furthermore, with the addition of 5% of oxygen gas, it was 99.99% decontaminated in 10 min. Given the low input power (<100 W) and temperature (<75 degrees C), this plasma is eligible for nondestructive decontamination of almost all material surfaces. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.