Skin toxicokinetics of mustard gas in the guinea pig: effect of hypochlorite and safety aspects

Abstract

Sulfur mustard (SM, mustard gas) is a chemical warfare vesicant that rapidly penetrates the skin due to its hydrophobicity. This study measured the rate of SM disappearance from the skin after topical application of the vesicant. In both fur-covered and hairless animals, the remaining toxicant levels measured 60 min after exposure to undiluted SM were 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively, of the initially applied SM amount. However, SM concentration reached 0.4% of the initial dose 3 h following exposure in female fur-covered guinea pigs. SM quantities extracted from skin of male fur-covered and hairless guinea pigs immediately after 16 min of exposure to SM vapor were 12.2 and 21.8 microg, respectively; levels declined to 1.6 and 1.7 microg at 30 and 15 min following termination of exposure of male fur-covered and hairless guinea pigs, respectively. Three swabbing treatments of undiluted SM-exposed skin with gauze pads soaked in 0.5% hypochlorite caused 68% reduction in skin SM content. Similar findings were obtained when hypochlorite was replaced by water (64% reduction). SM content in the gauze pads was 59, 38 and 25 microg, respectively, for the first, second and third decontamination processes with water. No SM was detected in the gauze pads soaked with hypochlorite. In vitro studies showed that incubation of SM with 0.5% hypochlorite at a ratio of 10:1 (v/v) did not cause SM inactivation, whereas 4% hypochlorite reduced SM levels by 17%. However, at a decontaminant:SM ratio of 1000:1, 0.5% and 4% hypochlorite reduced SM levels by 92% and 99%, respectively. These findings are important for health authorities and regulatory agencies in planning precautionary steps to be taken in case of emergency and in routine laboratory work.

The effect of Nigella sativa alone, and in combination with dexamethasone, on tracheal muscle responsiveness and lung inflammation in sulfur mustard exposed guinea pigs

“…The air from the exposure chamber was pumped into a chamber containing 5% hypochlorite solutions which was continued 25 min after the end of SM aerosol generation. It was shown that sulfur mustard in proportion of 1/1000 (v/v) to hypochlorite sodium 0.5 and 4% lead to 92 and 99% reduction in mustard activity, respectively (Peng et al, 1999;Kumar et al, 2001;Wormser et al, 2002). All procedures were done in a fume cupboard while the researcher had worn special clothes and air filtered mask.…”

The Protective Effect of Nigella Sativa on Lung Injury of Sulfur Mustard–exposed Guinea Pigs

“…The pumping of the air from the larger box into hypochlorite solutions was continued for another 25 minutes after the end of SM aerosol generation. Uri Wormser and colleagues showed that sulfur mustard in proportion of 1/1000 v/v to hypochlorite sodium 0.5% and 4% led to 92% and 99% reduction in mustard activity, respectively [36]. Soap and water are effective decontaminates, and if available a dilute solution of hypochlorite (household bleach) can be used to decontaminate the skin.…”

Rapid Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents from the Skin

“…Guinea pigs have been evaluated for skin damage from burns and are often used as a wound-healing model for sulfur mustard (Ramos et al, 2008), as well as for skin irritation to toxic industrial chemicals (TIC) (Weaver et al, 2003;Kennedy, 2007). Guinea pigs have also been used to study absorption of CWAs through the skin (Wormser et al, 2002;Dalton et al, 2006) and uptake of radioactive sulfur mustard through the skin (Logan et al, 1999), as well as an animal model for evaluating pretreatment regimens to protect against CWAs (Wetherell et al, 2006) and for assessing ChE activity responses (Haigh et al, 2005) to GD exposure and OP-induced seizure (Harrison et al, 2004).…”

“…This study measured the rate of sulfur mustard disappearance from the skin after topical application of the vesicant, which rapidly penetrates the skin because of its hydrophobicity. Three swabbing treatments of undiluted HD-exposed skin with gauze pads soaked in 0.5% hypochlorite caused 68% reduction in skin HD content and a 64% reduction when hypochlorite was replaced by water (Wormser et al, 2002). The effectiveness of 0.5% hypochlorite with water for decontaminating sulfur mustard on guinea pigs was also evaluated.…”