Characterization and Fate of Gun and Rocket Propellant Residues on Testing and Training Ranges: Interim Report 2

• Main Authors: Walsh, Michael R, Walsh, Marianne E, Hewitt, Alan D, Collins, Charles M, Bigl, Susan R, Gagnon, Kelsey, Ampleman, Guy, Thiboutot, Sonia, Poulin, Isabelle, Brochu, Sylvie
• Other Authors: ENGINEER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER HANOVER NH COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Rocket Propellants; *ROCKET PROPELLANTS; CONTAMINATION; EXPLOSIVES; GUNS; MILITARY TRAINING; RESIDUES; SAMPLING; TRANSPORT; ENERGETICS; FATE; FIRING POINTS; BIP; CHARACTERIZATION; DEPOSITION RATE; SERDP(STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM); SERDP COLLECTION; ESTCP(ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM); ESTCP COLLECTION; Canada; Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA579913; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA579913

The Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory and Defence Research and Development Canada Valcartier have partnered to improve the understanding of the distribution and fate of propellant residues on military training ranges. Field studies were conducted to estimate the propellant residue mass deposited per round fired from various munitions as well as residues from the field disposal of excess training propellants. Experiments were conducted to measure the rate of release of nitroglycerin and dinitrotoluenes after deposition. United States and Canadian installations were examined to determine the mass and distribution of residue accumulation. Profile sampling was conducted to document the depth to which these residues had penetrated the ground. Column studies were conducted with nitroglycerin, nitroguanidine, potassium perchlorate, and diphenylamine from intact and expended propellants to document transport rates for solution-phase propellant constituents and to develop process descriptors for use in models to enable prediction of fate and transport for these constituents.