Photoassisted removal of sarin vapor in air under UV light irradiation

The photoassisted reaction of sarin vapor in air was carried out in a self-designed photoreactor, and several factors influenced upon the reaction were experimentally examined. The experimental results showed that sarin vapor in air could be destructively eliminated under the irradiation of a germicidal lamp. It was demonstrated that photoreaction of sarin was the main pathway that lead to the elimination of sarin vapor. The relative elimination rate of sarin vapor was significantly promoted by strengthening the irradiation density or lowering the initial concentration, and yet was less significantly influenced by the air humidity. The photoreaction products analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) strongly supported that sarin molecules were finally converted into a kind of nontoxic polymer under UV light irradiation.