Efficacy of scalp hair decontamination following exposure to vapours of sulphur mustard simulants 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulphide and methyl salicylate

Spiandore, Marie; Piram, Anne; Lacoste, Alexandre; Pelletier, Philippe; Maloni, Pascal; Torre, F. Jason; Asia, Laurence; Josse, Denis; Doumenq, Pierre

doi:10.1016/j.cbi.2016.07.018

Cited by 17 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(28 reference statements)

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“…For all interventions, substantial quantities of MeS and BeS remained in the hair following decontamination. This finding is consistent with previous in vitro studies where up to 50% of the tested chemical warfare agent (VX, sulphur mustard) or lipophilic chemical simulant (phorate or MeS) were found to be remaining in the hair following decontamination 16,19,31 . However, it is not consistent with a recent human volunteer field exercise from Chilcott et al 30 that demonstrated high decontamination efficacy for MeS contaminated hair.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Outputs of these studies have been informative and have led to changes to both UK and US emergency decontamination protocols for chemical incidents 14,15 . However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of current decontamination interventions in removing chemicals from hair 7,[16][17][18][19][20] and even fewer have done so with human volunteers 10,14,21 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In vitro studies of the efficacy of hair decontamination following exposure to VX 16 and the sulphur mustard simulants methyl salicylate and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulphide 19 revealed that showering alone was the least effective decontamination protocol, whereas the application of Fullers Earth (FE) or Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL) prior to showering substantially improved decontamination efficacy up to 45 min post exposure. The same experiments also showed significant persistence of VX and methyl salicylate (MeS) in hair post-decontamination.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Human volunteer study of the decontamination of chemically contaminated hair and the consequences for systemic exposure

Collins

James

Southworth

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The decontamination of exposed persons is a priority following the release of toxic chemicals. Efficacious decontamination reduces the risk of harm to those directly affected and prevents the uncontrolled spread of contamination. Human studies examining the effectiveness of emergency decontamination procedures have primarily focused on decontaminating skin, with few examining the decontamination of hair and scalp. We report the outcome of two studies designed to evaluate the efficacy of current United Kingdom (UK) improvised, interim and specialist mass casualty decontamination protocols when conducted in sequence. Decontamination efficacy was evaluated using two chemical simulants, methyl salicylate (MeS) and benzyl salicylate (BeS) applied to and recovered from the hair of volunteers. Twenty-four-hour urinary MeS and BeS were measured as a surrogate for systemic bioavailability. Current UK decontamination methods performed in sequence were partially effective at removing MeS and BeS from hair and underlying scalp. BeS and MeS levels in urine indicated that decontamination had no significant effect on systemic exposure raising important considerations with respect to the speed of decontamination. The decontamination of hair may therefore be challenging for first responders, requiring careful management of exposed persons following decontamination. Further work to extend these studies is required with a broader range of chemical simulants, a larger group of volunteers and at different intervention times.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Human volunteer study of the decontamination of chemically contaminated hair and the consequences for systemic exposure

Collins

James

Southworth

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…Human volunteer trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of such procedures (Chilcott et al , 2019b). Recently, emphasis has been placed on decontamination of scalp hair (Josse et al , 2015; Rolland et al , 2013; Spiandore et al , 2014, 2017, 2018). It is well established that the removal of contaminants from hair is difficult (Duca et al , 2014) and the affinity with which chemicals bind to hair has been exploited for forensic purposes (Blank and Kidwell, 1995).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Decontamination and Management of Contaminated Hair following a CBRN or HazMat Incident

Matar

Pinhal

Amer

et al. 2019

Toxicological Sciences

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This in vitro study evaluated the “triple protocol” of dry decontamination, the ladder pipe system (a method for gross decontamination), and technical decontamination for the decontamination of hair following chemical contamination. First, we assessed the efficacy of the 3 protocols, alone or in combination, on excised porcine skin and human hair contaminated with either methyl salicylate (MS), phorate (PHR), sodium fluoroacetate (SFA), or potassium cyanide (KCN). A second experiment investigated the residual hair contamination following decontamination with the triple protocol at different intervals postexposure. In a third experiment, hair decontaminated after exposure to MS or PHR was evaluated for off-gassing. Though skin decontamination was highly effective, a substantial proportion (20%–40%) of the lipophilic compounds (MS and PHR) remained within the hair. The more water-soluble contaminants (SFA and KCN) tended to form much smaller reservoirs within the hair. Interestingly, substantial off-gassing of MS, a medium volatility chemical, was detectable from triple-decontaminated hair up to 5 days postexposure. Overall, the decontamination strategies investigated were effective for the decontamination of skin, but less so for hair. These findings highlight the importance of contaminated hair serving as a source of potential secondary contamination by contact or inhalation. Therefore, consideration should be given to the removal of contaminated hair following exposure to toxic chemicals.

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“…Riviere, Smith, Budsaba, et al, 2001 In vitro study on the efficacy of combined decontamination methods on decontamination efficacy of hair exposed to MeS vapours. Spiandore, Piram, Lacoste, et al, 2016 An in vitro study (using skin mounted on diffusion cells) into the effects of hydrodynamics, detergents and delays on the effectiveness of the ladder pipe decontamination system. Matar, Atkinson, Kansagra, et al, 2014 Human trial…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical warfare agent simulants for human volunteer trials of emergency decontamination: A systematic review

James

Wyke

Marczylo

et al. 2017

J of Applied Toxicology

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Incidents involving the release of chemical agents can pose significant risks to public health. In such an event, emergency decontamination of affected casualties may need to be undertaken to reduce injury and possible loss of life. To ensure these methods are effective, human volunteer trials (HVTs) of decontamination protocols, using simulant contaminants, have been conducted. Simulants must be used to mimic the physicochemical properties of more harmful chemicals, while remaining non‐toxic at the dose applied. This review focuses on studies that employed chemical warfare agent simulants in decontamination contexts, to identify those simulants most suitable for use in HVTs of emergency decontamination. Twenty‐two simulants were identified, of which 17 were determined unsuitable for use in HVTs. The remaining simulants (n = 5) were further scrutinized for potential suitability according to toxicity, physicochemical properties and similarities to their equivalent toxic counterparts. Three suitable simulants, for use in HVTs were identified; methyl salicylate (simulant for sulphur mustard), diethyl malonate (simulant for soman) and malathion (simulant for VX or toxic industrial chemicals). All have been safely used in previous HVTs, and have a range of physicochemical properties that would allow useful inference to more toxic chemicals when employed in future studies of emergency decontamination systems.

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Efficacy of scalp hair decontamination following exposure to vapours of sulphur mustard simulants 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulphide and methyl salicylate

Cited by 17 publications

References 24 publications

Human volunteer study of the decontamination of chemically contaminated hair and the consequences for systemic exposure

Human volunteer study of the decontamination of chemically contaminated hair and the consequences for systemic exposure

Decontamination and Management of Contaminated Hair following a CBRN or HazMat Incident

Chemical warfare agent simulants for human volunteer trials of emergency decontamination: A systematic review

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