Gas Chromatographic Determination of Traces of O-Isobutyl S-2-(N,N-Diethylamino)ethyl Methyl Phosphonothioate (VX-Like Compound) in Working Area and Community Air

A gas-chromatographic procedure is proposed for the determination of O-isobutyl S-2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl methyl phosphonothioate (mixed ester) at the maximum permissible level for the working area air (5 × 10^–6 mg/m³) and at the safe reference level of impact for the community air (5 × 10^–8 mg/m³). The procedure is based on trapping the mixed ester from air by a chemisorbent. Next, the analyte is extracted by hexane; transformed to O-methyl-O-isobutyl methyl phosphonate by silver nitrate in methanol; and, in the case of the working area air, the methanol solution of the derivative is chromatographed. In the determination of the mixed ester in the community air, a solution of O-methyl-O-isobutyl methyl phosphonate (dialkyl methyl phosphonate) in methanol is passed through a column with an adsorbent and transferred to the chromatographic system with a thermal desorption system. The relative error of the determination of the mixed ester in the working area and community air is no more than 28 and 40 rel. %, respectively.