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Impregnation on activated carbon for removal of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and radioactive content

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Abstract

Nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare (NBC) agents cause an inevitable threat to defense forces and civilians. Exposure to these toxic agents causes a lot of damage to lives. One can avoid the damage of these toxic agents by taking appropriate preventive measures. Respiratory protection is obviously necessary when military personnel or civilians get bounded by such type of noxious situation as contaminant-free air is then required for breathing and it can only be provided by means of a proper gas mask and relevant canister. In purification of contaminated atmospheres, activated carbon has so far met with outstanding success. It removes toxic chemicals either by chemical or physical adsorption from the contaminated air. When any toxic chemicals get adsorbed on the modified impregnated carbon’s surface, they usually adsorb there by means of chemical reactions. Destruction of adsorbed toxic substances is expected by such a reactive carbon. In this perspective, an attempt has been made to review the literature from past decades on the removal of toxic chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and radioactive content from air stream in case of any nuclear, biological, and chemical attack by selectively modifying or impregnating the activated carbon surface. This review also covers some important adsorption properties of materials being used in gas mask filters for effective removal of chemicals from airstream. The probable removal mechanisms of various chemical warfare agents and radioactive content have also been reviewed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hazardous Air Pollutants Laboratory, Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad, Pakistan

    Sidra Shaoor Kiani, Amjad Farooq, Masroor Ahmad, Naseem Irfan & Muhammad Asim Irshad

  2. Department of Chemistry, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan

    Sidra Shaoor Kiani & Mohsan Nawaz

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  1. Sidra Shaoor Kiani
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  2. Amjad Farooq
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  3. Masroor Ahmad
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  4. Naseem Irfan
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  5. Mohsan Nawaz
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  6. Muhammad Asim Irshad
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Contributions

Sidra Shaoor Kiani: data collection, writing-original draft preparation

Amjad Farooq: idea of writing review paper, full guidance, literature review

Masroor Ahmad: instructions

Naseem Irfan: instructions

Mohsan Nawaz: instructions

Muhammad Asim Irshad: assistance

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Correspondence to Sidra Shaoor Kiani.

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Kiani, S.S., Farooq, A., Ahmad, M. et al. Impregnation on activated carbon for removal of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and radioactive content. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 60477–60494 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15973-1

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