ABSTRACT
Organophosphorus compounds present a significant threat to the environment because of their extreme toxicity and widespread industrial use. Esters and thioesters of phosphoric acid and thiophosphoric acid are widely used for agriculture purposes as nonsystemic pesticides. Although the organophosphorus compounds, replacements for organochlorine compounds, are less persistent and do not undergo appreciable bioaccumulation, they have come under scrutiny because of their toxicity and potency as cholinesterase inhibitors [1, 2]. In addition, large quantities of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents stored at military facilities must be destroyed [3]. While governing agencies initially considered incineration as a viable process for the treatment of chemical warfare agents, public outcry regarding the potential dangers associated with air pollution produced in this process have forced a re-evaluation of the treatment options [4],
Model compounds (simulants) are often used to estimate the reactivity of organophosphorus pesticides and warfare agents toward potential remediation technologies because of their availability and ease of handling [5-18]. The structures of select organophosphorus pesticides, chemical warfare agents, and model compounds (simulants) are presented in Fig. 1.
