Kinetics of the degradation of sulfur mustard on ambient and moist concrete

The rate of degradation of the chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard, bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, was measured on ambient and moist concrete using 13C Solid State Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SSMAS NMR). Three samples of concrete made by the same formulation, but differing in age and alkalinity were used. The sulfur mustard eventually degraded to thiodiglycol and 1,4-oxathiane via the intermediate sulfonium ions CH-TG, H-TG, H-2TG and O(CH2CH2)2S+CH2CH2OH on all of the concrete samples, and in addition formed 8–31% vinyl moieties on the newer, more alkaline concrete samples. This is the first observation of the formation of O(CH2CH2)2S+CH2CH2OH on a solid substrate. The addition of 2-chloroethanol to concrete on which mustard had fully degraded to thiodiglycol and 1,4-oxathiane resulted in the formation of O(CH2CH2)2S+CH2CH2OH, thus demonstrating the reversibility of sulfur mustard degradation pathways. The sulfur mustard degradation half-lives on ambient concrete at 22 °C ranged from 3.5 to 54 weeks. When the substrates were moistened, the degradation half-lives at 22 °C ranged from 75 to 350 h. The degradation of sulfur mustard occurred more quickly at elevated temperatures and with added water. The non-volatile toxic sulfonium ions persisted for months to years on concrete at 22 °C and weeks to months on concrete at 35 °C, before decomposing to the relatively non-toxic compounds thiodiglycol and 1,4-oxathiane.