Field-screening method for 2,4-dinitrotoluene in soil. Special report

Technical Report · Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5690895

Jenkins, T F; Walsh, M E

2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) is a major component of several munitions formulations used by the U.S. Army. It is also one of the major impurities in production grade TNT and is often found in contaminated soils at army ammunition plants, depots and explosive ordnance disposal areas. Since 2,4-DNT migrates rapidly through the soil to groundwater and is thought to be toxic in water at quite low concentrations, methods are needed to locate sources of this contaminant in the soil. Laboratory procedures to quantify the concentration of 2,4-DNT in soil samples have been developed but no rapid field method is currently available to screen for this contaminant. Field screening methods have recently been developed for TNT and RDX. The TNT method involves extraction of the soil with acetone and generation of the red-colored Janowsky complex by addition of potassium hydroxide and sodium sulfite.

• Research Organization: Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab., Hanover, NH (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5690895
• Report Number(s): AD-A-245492/4/XAB; CRREL-SR-91-17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GROUND WATER
CONTAMINATION
MILITARY FACILITIES
LAND POLLUTION
NITRO COMPOUNDS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SOILS
TOLUENE
AMMUNITION
HYDROXIDES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDES
SAMPLING
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SULFITES
WATER POLLUTION
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
EXTRACTION
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WATER
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)