IONTOSORB AMD is a specific reactive sorbent with cellulose matrix and amidoxime fixed to cellulose glucose units at their C-6 positions. IONTOSORB AMD is outstanding in highly effective removal of organophosphate pesticides and nerve-paralytic chemical warfare agents (CWAs).

Pesticide degradation by using IONTOSORB AMD proceeds with a half time 20 - 30 hours at pH about 7 - 7.5. Parathion methyl and paraoxon methyl degradation runs both in neutral and basic media. In acidic solutions, degradation constants decrease up to pH 6.

Time dependencies for the pesticide degradation in the presence of the AMD reactive sorbent. a) parathion methyl, pH 5.02; b) parathion methyl, pH 7.22; c) parathion methyl, pH 9.00; d) paraoxon methyl, pH 7.22. The initial pesticide concentration was 20 mg/L, the buffer concentration was 0.05 mol/L and the concentration of sorbent was 12.5 g/L.

Dependence of the degradation rate constants on pH (calculated from the rate of 4-nitrophenol creation)

IONTOSORB AMD decomposes VX agent and soman with more than 90 % conversion during 1 hour so it belongs to the most efficient decontamination agents for this class of compounds.

Degradation of nerve gases soman (a) and VX agent (b) in the presence of the AMD sorbent

Iontosorb AMD sorbent was developed in co-operation with Prof. Ing. Pavel Janoš, CSc., Faculty of the Environment, University of Jan Evangelista Purkyně, Pasteurova 3544/1, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic.

Tests with nerve-paralytic chemical warfare agents were done in Military Research Institute, Veslařská 230, 637 00 Brno, Czech Republic.

Detailed infromation willl be published in the scientific article: P. Janoš, O. Tokar, M. Došek, K. Mazanec, P. Janoš junior: Amidoxime-functionalized bead cellulose for the decomposition of highly toxic organophosphates. Carbohydratre Polymers. In press.