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Title: Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Abstract

High-explosive compounds including hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) were used extensively in weapons research and testing at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Liquid effluents containing RDX were released to an outfall pond that flowed to Cañon de Valle at LANL's Technical Area 16 (TA-16), resulting in the contamination of the alluvial, intermediate and regional groundwater bodies. Monitoring of groundwater within Cañon de Valle has shown persistent RDX in the intermediate perched zone located between 225 and 311 m below ground surface. Monitoring data also show detectable levels of RDX putative anaerobic degradation products. Batch and column experiments were conducted to determine the extent of adsorption-desorption and transport of RDX and its degradation products (MNX, DNX, and TNX) in major rock types that are within the RDX plume. All experiments in this paper were performed in the dark using water obtained from a well located at the center of the plume, which is fairly oxic and has a neutral pH of 7.5. Retardation factors and partitioning coefficient (Kd) values for RDX were calculated from batch experiments. Additionally, retardation factors and Kd values for RDX and its degradation products were calibrated from column experiments using a one-dimensional transport model with equilibrium sorption (linear isotherm). Resultsmore » from the column and batch experiments showed little to no sorption of RDX to the aquifer materials tested, with retardation factors ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 and Kd values varying from 0 to 0.70 L/kg. Finally, results also showed no measurable differences between the transport properties of RDX and its degradation products.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
OSTI Identifier:
1357122
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1396516
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-28243
Journal ID: ISSN 0045-6535
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Chemosphere
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 182; Journal ID: ISSN 0045-6535
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Earth Sciences; Environmental Protection; RDX, TNT, transport, adsorption, retardation

Citation Formats

Heerspink, Brent Porter, Pandey, Sachin, Boukhalfa, Hakim, Ware, Doug S., Marina, Oana, Perkins, George, Vesselinov, Velimir V., and WoldeGabriel, Giday. Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.149.
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Heerspink, Brent Porter, Pandey, Sachin, Boukhalfa, Hakim, Ware, Doug S., Marina, Oana, Perkins, George, Vesselinov, Velimir V., & WoldeGabriel, Giday. Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.149
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Heerspink, Brent Porter, Pandey, Sachin, Boukhalfa, Hakim, Ware, Doug S., Marina, Oana, Perkins, George, Vesselinov, Velimir V., and WoldeGabriel, Giday. Tue . "Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.149. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1357122.
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@article{osti_1357122,
title = {Fate and transport of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and its degradation products in sedimentary and volcanic rocks, Los Alamos, New Mexico},
author = {Heerspink, Brent Porter and Pandey, Sachin and Boukhalfa, Hakim and Ware, Doug S. and Marina, Oana and Perkins, George and Vesselinov, Velimir V. and WoldeGabriel, Giday},
abstractNote = {High-explosive compounds including hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) were used extensively in weapons research and testing at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Liquid effluents containing RDX were released to an outfall pond that flowed to Cañon de Valle at LANL's Technical Area 16 (TA-16), resulting in the contamination of the alluvial, intermediate and regional groundwater bodies. Monitoring of groundwater within Cañon de Valle has shown persistent RDX in the intermediate perched zone located between 225 and 311 m below ground surface. Monitoring data also show detectable levels of RDX putative anaerobic degradation products. Batch and column experiments were conducted to determine the extent of adsorption-desorption and transport of RDX and its degradation products (MNX, DNX, and TNX) in major rock types that are within the RDX plume. All experiments in this paper were performed in the dark using water obtained from a well located at the center of the plume, which is fairly oxic and has a neutral pH of 7.5. Retardation factors and partitioning coefficient (Kd) values for RDX were calculated from batch experiments. Additionally, retardation factors and Kd values for RDX and its degradation products were calibrated from column experiments using a one-dimensional transport model with equilibrium sorption (linear isotherm). Results from the column and batch experiments showed little to no sorption of RDX to the aquifer materials tested, with retardation factors ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 and Kd values varying from 0 to 0.70 L/kg. Finally, results also showed no measurable differences between the transport properties of RDX and its degradation products.},
doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.149},
journal = {Chemosphere},
number = ,
volume = 182,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 02 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Tue May 02 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Spread, Behavior, and Ecosystem Consequences of Conventional Munitions Compounds in Coastal Marine Waters
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