Superwipe That Decontaminates Spills of Chemical Warfare Agents Developed

Scientists have developed a super-wipe that can easily decontaminate spills of chemical warfare agents or industrial acids.

Traditional methods to soak up harmful chemicals involve powdered carbon, which is itself a health risk if breathed in, reports New Scientist.

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Therefore, the US army, working alongside Texas Tech University in Lubbock and the Lawrence Livermore lab in California, has embedded the activated carbon in a super-absorbent wipe.

This can clean up anything from human skin to electronic equipment.

Seshadri Ramkumar of Texas Tech, said that toxic vapours are captured by the carbon, while an absorbent layer either side soaks up any liquid.

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While conducting experiments, the researchers found that the wipe successfully removed traces of deadly mustard gas from soft and hard surfaces.

The study is published in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.

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