Ansell Protective Solutions

CPC Decontamination
 Types of decontamination

1. Technical = Planned ahead, special showers, decon agents and other

equipment

2. Emergency = Use lots of water

3. Mass-decon = Large number of people, or example 80 pers/min

NOTE: Taking off the clothers => 80% of the contamination is gone

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 Cross-contamination

Important!!

 Always create different zones, to separate contaminated persons from

decontaminated.

 Place the decon tent in the correct wind direction i.e. wind blowing from the
clean area towards the contaminated area

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 What is decontamination?

Decontamination means taking away the harmful chemicals either physically or chemically:

Physically:
Wiping off, rub or brush the chemical of the suit (preferbly solid contaminants)

Chemically
To dissolve and/or neutralize the chemical by using another chemical or, most commonly, water.

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Decontamination - Does it work and how?

Wash the suit on outside Chemical on surface or inside the material

Concentration = 0 Concentration = > 0

Direction of chemical transport

Material
Molecules

Wash of the chemical! Revers direction of transport!

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 Decontamination procedure

1. First decon for safe doffing

Wash with water 4O - 50 oC + detergent

2. Decontamination
Type of chemical?

3. Hygienic cleaning
Wash with water 4O - 50 oC + detergent

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 Decontaminating Industrial Chemicals

3 types of chemicals, from decontamination point of view:

 Volatile

 Water soluble (approx solubility > 60 g/l water)

 Acids
 Alkali
 Others (example: salts, alcohols)
 Water insoluble (approx solubility < 60 g/l water)

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 Decontaminating Industrial Chemicals

 Volatile

Examples: organic solvents like benzene, hexane, toluene.

Air the suit / hang the suit in well ventilated area at 30 - 40 oC or outdoors

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 Decontaminating Industrial Chemicals

 Soluble in water

Examples: phenol, ethylene glycol, sodium chloride

Wash with lots of water 40 - 50 oC + detergent

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 Decontaminating Industrial Chemicals

 Insoluble in water

Examples: styrene, nitrobenzene

1. Wipe with solvent: ethanol, white spirit, other suitable solvent or

a commercial decontamination agent

2. Wash with water 40 - 50 oC + detergent

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 Decontaminating Industrial Chemicals

 Acid & Alkali

Examples Acids: sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid
Examples Alkali: sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide

1. Neutralise with dilute alkali (if an acid) or acid (if an alkali)

2. Rinse with water
3. Check pH with a pH-stick (pH 7 is neutral)

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 Warfare Agents

Chemical warfare agents (CWA)

 Mustard gas
 Sarine
 VX
 Phosgene

Biological Warfare agents (BWA)

 Smallpox
 Anthrax

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Trellchem® - Decontaminating CWA

Calcium hypochlorite, 30 % solution in 15 min

 Mustard gas
 Lewisite
 Tabun
 Sarine Oxidizes / Neutralises all!
 Soman
 VX
 Cyanogen chloride

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Trellchem® - Decontamination BWA

Calcium hypochlorite, 30 % solution in 15 min

Alternatively use:
 Calcium hypochlorite 5 – 10 % in 2 – 4 hours
 Hydrogen peroxide, 3 % in 5 min
 Alkaline solution pH 10-11 for example Sodium hydroxide
 Formaldehyde solution

Kills all virus, bacteria and funghi!

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 Trellchem® - Decontamination Dont’s

Do not use:
Decontamination solution “DS-2”
 This is a very corrosive solution (due to the amine content) intended for
decon of vehicles and weapon
 If used on the suits, the material may be affected
Boiling the suits in water
 Should only be done with suits that are made of rubber materials only,
without plastic components which may be damaged.
Hot air containers
 See Boiling above
UV-light
 UV light is very aggressive and may degrade the polymer materials.

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 Equipment for decontamination

Sponge
Detergent, decon
agent and
WATER!

Cloth

Decon basin or cabin

Remember to take care of
Soft brush the waste water!!

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 Hygienic cleaning

Handwash at 40 ºC using mild detergent & soft brush

Important to dry the suit!

 Top Trock
 Fan (for example a hair dryer)
 or similar

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 Inspection

Check the suit for:

1. Mechanical damages on material and components (abrasion, tears,

holes etc.)

2. Chemical degradation (stiff, sticky etc.)

3. Gastightness

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 Degradation – Chemical damage

Degradation is a chemical reaction between chemical and suit material which is irreversible
i.e. it cannot be repaired.

Degradation can be detected by changes in the material properties (feeling, appearance) like
for example:
1. Stiffness, hardness, brittleness
2. Swelling, stickiness, “sponginess”
3. Any of 1 or 2 in combination with a colour change.

WARNING! Take the suit out of service and replace it.

NOTE: Degradation also includes natural aging of a material, for example ozon cracks.

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Trellchem® Reusable suits

As long as the decontamination is properly performed

– and there is no evidence of chemical attack –
the chemical resistance of the suit will not be effected.

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