Preliminary evaluation of military, commercial and novel skin decontamination products against a chemical warfare agent simulant (methyl salicylate)

Abstract

Rapid decontamination is vital to alleviate adverse health effects following dermal exposure to hazardous materials. There is an abundance of materials and products which can be utilised to remove hazardous materials from the skin. In this study, a total of 15 products were evaluated, 10 of which were commercial or military products and five were novel (molecular imprinted) polymers. The efficacies of these products were evaluated against a 10 µl droplet of ¹⁴C-methyl salicylate applied to the surface of porcine skin mounted on static diffusion cells. The current UK military decontaminant (Fuller’s earth) performed well, retaining 83% of the dose over 24 h and served as a benchmark to compare with the other test products. The five most effective test products were Fuller’s earth (the current UK military decontaminant), Fast-Act® and three novel polymers [based on itaconic acid, 2-trifluoromethylacrylic acid and N,N-methylenebis(acrylamide)]. Five products (medical moist-free wipes, 5% FloraFree™ solution, normal baby wipes, baby wipes for sensitive skin and Diphotérine™) enhanced the dermal absorption of ¹⁴C-methyl salicylate. Further work is required to establish the performance of the most effective products identified in this study against chemical warfare agents.

• Absorbent
• chemical warfare agent
• decontamination
• methyl salicylate
• percutaneous absorption
• skin

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

This report is independent research commissioned and funded by the Department of Health (England) as part of the ORCHIDS research programme. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Health.

This work was performed by the Health Protection Agency at facilities operated by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Wiltshire.