How tube-based thermal desorption can be used to monitor chemical warfare agents at ultra-trace levels

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and their respective simulants were analyzed using standard tubes and depot area air monitoring systems (DAAMS) tubes. The tubes were desorbed using standard- or DAAMS‑configured automated thermal desorbers, respectively, and analysis was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) or GC–MS–flame photometric detection (FPD). Two recent TD innovations were evaluated—enhanced internal standard addition and multi-tube trap stacking—for monitoring CWAs at ultratrace levels.