I have a very difficult problem here , badly need help infinding an appropriate

Question

I have a very difficult problem here , badly need help infinding an appropriate solution, and understand there are a few onhere that have what it takes to solve it....
   Problem is a hypothetical danger versus worthtype thing...Suppose you are 100 miles away from everything, noelectricity, nothing..There is a tunnel into the depths of amountain, down to water level where much moisture is present..Atthe end of this tunnel is a sealed solid steel vault measuring 30ft by 40 ft..Inside this vault there is one million dollars in coldcrisp cash/or gold/or whatever you dream of most....Anyway, uponopening the seal on the vault an interior booby trap willspring dumping very high and dangerous amounts of Phosgene gas intothe vault and tunnel around vault entrance...I am not a chemist inany way and am actually very illiterate on the subject ofchemicals..I did read on a few websites that the Phosgene will killyou, and that it changes to Hydrogen Chloride when contactingmoisture, which would also cause adverse health effects..Eventuallyif not mistaken it will change again to Hydrochloric Acid....Now tomy problem.. How exactly would one go about remediating thesituation ?..Could the Phosgene/Hydrogen Chloride be made harmlessby introducing another chemical into the vault ? If not, wouldthere be any other way to ''disarm'' the chemicals ? Alsowhat would be used as far as Personal Protective Gear ? Respirator,gas mask, compressed air, or supplied air ? What would beconsidered the main cautions to heed ?...As I said I am not achemist and need complete answers as hints will get me nowhereexcept around in more circles !!...And anything else Anyone couldprovide on the subject will be MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!!>.....................................Thanks, todd

Explanation / Answer

Phosgene was used in WW1 as well, you can guess. (For yourinfo, it is not the same as what people call 'mustard gas').You can chemically change (a reaction) phosgene into urea anda by product by adding ammonia. COCl2 + 4 NH3 CO(NH2)2 + 2 NH4Cl
So, put copious amounts of gaseous ammonia (smells bad,but definitely not as harmful as phosgene) could renderit much less dangerous. But yeah, PPE like a scottpac would probably still be a good idea. Urea is a 'packaged'form of nitrogen, which we must excrete because it is poisonous,and as you guessed, urea is a chemical excreted inurine.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse I
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.