The M8 chemical detector was a Canadian invention, first standardized in 1963. By 1964 it entered US service as a part of the M15A2 Chemical Agent Detector Kit. About 67,000 of these kits were produced from 1965-1969, with most other NATO nations also purchasing the M8.
Chemical Agent Detector Paper is a type of paper used for detecting the presence of chemical agents, including nerve agents, mustard agents, and blister agents. The paper typically changes color in the presence of a chemical agent.
Description: The M8 booklet of chemical detector paper contains (25) M8 sheets. Each page has three sensitive indicator dyes on the page. When hazmat (hazardous materials) responders bring a sheet into contact with liquid that contains nerve or blister agents, the indicator dyes in the paper react with the agents to produce colored dots. The color indicates the type of agent present.
The colour chart inside the front cover of the booklet helps identify the agent detected. The colours indicate:
Yellow – G-type Nerve Agents Red – H-type Blister Agents Dark Green – V-type Nerve Agents
Historical Note: The technology and use of the Detector Chemical Agent, Nerve Vapour (NAVD) was developed in the early 1960’s at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) as an expedient method for soldiers to detect nerve agent in vapour form.