Data for Surface Sampling of Liquid Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants on Porous and Non-Porous Surfaces

Abstract

In this study, seven swipe materials, including four activated carbon cloth (ACC)–based materials, were evaluated using two low-toxicity liquid CWA simulants: methyl salicylate, a surrogate for sulfur mustard (HD), and benzyl salicylate, a surrogate for A-series agents. The materials assessed comprised two ACCs (FM70 and FM50K) and two composite wipes incorporating these ACCs as the sorptive layer. Sampling performance was quantified by HPLC following collection from four substrates of varying porosity: glass, car door metal, brick, and MDF. Extraction efficiencies varied significantly with both sampling material and surface type. Filter paper outperformed swabs for contamination recovery with composite wipes outperforming pure ACC. Overall, lower recoveries were observed on porous substrates compared to non-porous surfaces. Notably, on the car door substrate, recoveries obtained using ACC-based wipes were comparable to, or slightly greater than, those achieved via direct solvent extraction of the surface coupons. Across three of the four substrates tested, the composite wipe configuration mitigated performance losses associated with surface porosity, indicating advantages over pure ACC materials for practical sampling applications. These findings demonstrate that both substrate characteristics and sampler configuration strongly influence recovery and provide comparative performance data to inform the material selection for surface sampling of CWA contamination.