Decontamination strategies for organophosphorus nerve agents and their simulants

The decontamination of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) from environment has become an area of interest in recent years due to cases like its use in terrorist attacks or accidental spillage. These incidents highlight a critical need for development of effective decontamination strategies. This review focuses particularly on Nerve agents; VX (O-ethyl S-[2-diisopropylaminoethyl] methylphosphonothioate) and GB (sarin, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) and their simulants. This paper comprehensively surveys the evolution of decontamination strategies. Metals have been extensively used in degradation, initially as elemental form, then focusing on the abundance of lattice sites, research shifted towards metal oxides and with advancement of technology came in, the use of MOFs (Metal-organic framework) formulations. Enzymatic degradation which started with bacterial or human isolated enzymes advanced into formation of bio-films and hybrid methods. Polymers, gel-based materials, and skin lotions have also been investigated for nerve agent’s removal. Each section of this paper presents a chronological progression from early-stage formulations to the most recent innovations. By analysing various detoxification techniques, this review aims to highlight the most effective and practical decontamination techniques, identify current challenges, and propose potential directions for future research.