LRRI’s Hazardous Materials Chemistry and Exposure Laboratory is one of the few facilities in the nation with the specialized equipment and security to handle highly toxic and hazardous chemical agents (such as sulfur mustard). This laboratory was one of only three centers awarded in the United States as part of the Specialized Center Cooperative Agreement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a CounterACT (Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats) Research Center of Excellence.

 

This facility is a national resource for studying and understanding chemical agents and potential therapies. There are very few facilities that integrate the ability to characterize and understand hazardous chemicals with the ability to develop and characterize treatments, all in one place.

 

Key Capabilities:

 

• Aerosol inhalation exposure system for studying effects on the lungs
• Aerosol external exposure systems for examining effects on skin and eyes
• A cell culture system for in vitro studies
• Chemical synthesis, purification, and characterization for development and analysis of specialized chemicals (such as sulfur mustard)

 

For each route of aerosol exposure, a customized aerosol characterization system allows direct measurement of gases, vapors (including gas-vapor distribution), and particles in near real-time at or below occupational exposure limits.