National Center for Environmental Health: Chemical Weapons Elimination | Air Monitoring for Chemical Warfare Agents Fact Sheet

Air Monitoring for Chemical Warfare Agents

Air monitoring is critical for ensuring that neither plant workers nor nearby residents are exposed to chemical warfare agents:

Continuous "near real-time" air monitors are capable of alerting workers and reporting agent migration in a matter of minutes. They serve as sentinels to initiate corrective and protective actions.
Other types of air monitors collect samples over a longer period of time for analysis in an on-site laboratory. Analysis results can be used to confirm or refute readings of near real-time air monitors.
If agent migration is detected, even at levels below what would be harmful to people, corrective action is taken.

Air monitors are placed in the following areas:

Inside of disposal facilities, strategically placed in locations of greatest potential for agent vapor migration
In the exhaust stacks to continuously verify proper operation of the facility
Outside of the plant, at the facility boundary

CDC's involvement to make sure chemical warfare agent air monitors are operating correctly:

Checks air monitoring locations to make sure that they are appropriately placed according to the hazard assessment for the area and air flow patterns.
Analyzes data from the air monitoring system to ensure that the systems are giving accurate readings.
Reviews quality assurance/quality control plans prior to their implementation.