Identification and quantitative determination of diphenylarsenic compounds in abandoned toxic smoke canisters

In-Line Reactions and Ionizations of Vaporized Diphenylchloroarsine and Diphenylcyanoarsine in Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

“…Akihiko Okumura, 1 Yasuaki Takada, 1 Susumu Watanabe, 2 Hiroaki Hashimoto, 2 Naoya Ezawa, 3 Yasuo Seto, 4 Yasuo Takayama, 4,5 Ryoji Sekioka, 4,5 Shintaro Yamaguchi, 4,5 Shintaro Kishi, 4,5 Takafumi Satoh, 4,5 Tomohide Kondo, 4,5 Hisayuki Nagashima, 4,5 Tomoki Nagoya …”

“…Evidence of the in-line conversion of DA and DC to diphenylarsine hydroxide (DPAH) and then BDPAO was obtained by comparing the chronograms of various ions from the beginning of heating. Multiple-stage mass spectrometry revealed that the protonated molecule (MH + ) of DA, DC, DPAH, and BDPAO could produce Ph 2 As + through their in-source fragmentation. Among the signals of the ions that were investigated, the Ph 2 As + signal was the most intense and increased to reach a plateau with the increased air humidity, whereas the MH + signal of DA decreased.…”

“…Among the signals of the ions that were investigated, the Ph 2 As + signal was the most intense and increased to reach a plateau with the increased air humidity, whereas the MH + signal of DA decreased. It was suggested that DA and DC were converted in-line into BDPAO, which was a major source of Ph 2 As Introduction D i p h e n y l c h l o r o a r s i n e ( P h 2 A s C l , D A ) a n d diphenylcyanoarsine (Ph 2 AsCN, DC) are vomiting agents that were first synthesized in Germany and have been used as chemical warfare agents (CWA). The former Japanese military massively produced chemical weapons during World War II that consisted of a mixture of DA and DC [1].…”

“…Humidified air was generated by mixing moisture into dry air and introduced into the sampling line of the instrument. The sample vapor of DA, DC, and a condensation product bis(diphenylarsine)oxide [(Ph 2 As) 2 O, BDPAO] was mixed into the stream of the humidified air. A sample-vapor generation and introduction method (thermal desorption method) was specially designed for this study.…”

“…Most of them were left in China and have been scheduled to be destroyed [1]. Analyses of real samples [2] suggest that these agents can degrade but be present after 70 y of storage. DA and DC are considered to have a high chronic toxicity, which is similar to that of another organoarsenic CWA Lewisite l (L1), attributable to their trivalent arsenic [3,4].…”