These common
household and other materials produced false negative or other
significant results for chemical warfare agents when exposed to M8
paper.
Color key for
M8 paper.
Sevin, a common cholinesterase
inhibiting carbamate pesticide, is not detected by M8 paper. M8
reacts colorimetrically to certain chemical structures; it does not use
a cholinesterase inhibition test.
Arsenic trichloride is the only
compound we have found so far that produces a brilliant purple color on
M8 paper. Arsenic trichloride, while not a chemical warfare agent, is a
precursor to several chemical agents. The
presence of arsenic trichloride should raise the suspicion of CW agent
production.
This pesticide is a fly bait
that contains 1% DDVP (Vapona), a cholinesterase inhibiting
organophosphate pesticide, in a sugar syrup with a light red dye.
It is unreactive on M8 paper.
The DDVP was extracted from the
fly bait with xylene. In this case the M8 paper reacted to the
solvent and indicated the mixture as a blister agent.
Color key for
M8 paper.
