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ANALYSIS OF RDX AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES BY SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION AND GC/MS
Citation:
Munch, J W. ANALYSIS OF RDX AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES BY SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION AND GC/MS. Presented at The American Water Works Water Quality Technology Conference, Nashville, TN, November 11-15, 2001.
Impact/Purpose:
To develop an analytical method for monitoring RDX and other explosives in drinking water, which will be suitable for use by OGWDW to collect nationwide occurrence data under the UCMR. Ideally, the method should be simple and rugged enough to be applicable to compliance monitoring in the event that RDX becomes a regulated contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The method should be sensitive enough to provide accurate and precise data below 2 Fg/L.
Description:
Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (1996) require the USEPA to publish a list of contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water sysytems, and which may require regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). In response to this requirement, and after extensive consultation with the scientific community, USEPA published a Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) of fifty chemicals and ten microorganisms in March 1998. One of the chemicals listed on the CCL is hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine, also known as Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX). Before a regulatory detemination can be made concerning RDX, USEPA must assess the extent of its occurrence in public water systems. This will be accomplished through a nationwide monitoring program of drinking water utilities.
A new USEPA analytical method is being developed for monitoring drinking water for RDX and other explosive compounds. In addition to RDX, approximately 12 other explosives and related compounds of environmental interest will be evaluated for inclusion into the analytical method. This new method uses solid phase extraction to isolate and concentrate the target analytes. Preliminary data show greater than 85% recovery of 13 target analytes from 0.5 L of water using a divinylbenzene and N-vinylpyrrolidone solid phase. The concentrate extract is analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with programmed temperature vaporizing (PTV) injection.