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Development and Testing of Two Polymers for in situ Passive Sampling of Munitions Compounds.
Citation:
Shipley, E., P. Vlahos, AND R. Burgess. Development and Testing of Two Polymers for in situ Passive Sampling of Munitions Compounds. North Atlantic Chapter, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 27th Annual Meeting, NA, Virtual, April 05 - 07, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
During the period from the end of the First World War to the early 1970s, a great deal of munitions were disposed of in the marine environment. In addition, until recently, selected coastal areas were used as practice bombing ranges. Consequently, over time, a wide array of military explosive chemicals have been released from the munitions corroding in the aquatic environment. It is critical to measure these explosive chemicals and determine their ability to cause harm to the environment. In this study, a series of techniques applied with other types of environmental pollutants (e.g., PCBs) were evaluated for use in sampling these explosive chemicals. The presentation provides information on the effectiveness of the techniques for sampling explosive chemicals. Understanding how much explosive chemical is released from the munitions in aquatic systems will better inform environmental managers and allow for good decision-making.
Description:
Unregulated dumping of unexploded ordnance into coastal waters over the last century has raised questions about the identification and quantification of munitions compounds such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and its derivatives in various environmental mediums. Though typically present at low concentrations in seawater and sediment, many of these compounds have known human health risks and potential ecological impacts. Given the low concentrations, passive sampling is a promising avenue of research providing new data on these compounds in an economical and low maintenance way. This work examines two promising polymers, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyoxymethylene (POM), for their utility toward detection and quantification of munition freely dissolved concentrations (Cfrees). The Cfree was selected as it provides a good surrogate for the bioavailable concentration of the munitions in marine systems. Experiments use natural seawater and sediments retrieved from coastal areas affected by munition usage and disposal to determine munition Cfree in sediment porewater. These samplers will provide a low-cost technique to inform environmental remediation and monitoring programs at military sites and any facility where munitions compounds may be of concern.
