Persistence of White Phosphorus Particles in Sediment
MARIANNE E. WALSH, CHARLES M. COLLINS AND CHARLES H. RACINE
INTRODUCTION
Since 1990, CRREL researchers have been con-
ducting field studies at Eagle River Flats, Alaska,
the impact area at Ft. Richardson (Racine et al.
1992a,b,c, 1993). Eagle River Flats was contami-
nated by the detonation of projectiles containing
white phosphorus, a smoke-producing munition.
Eagle River Flats is the first Army training area
identified with white phosphorus contamination.
Recent surveys at other army training areas have
revealed white phosphorus contamination (Sim-
mers et al. 1994). Previous to our findings at Eagle
River Flats, white phosphorus was thought to be
nonpersistent in the environment.
The discovery of white phosphorus residues
from smoke rounds at Eagle River Flats has shown
that the current understanding of the environmen-
tal fate of white phosphorus is poor. Much of the
basic research on the chemistry of white phospho-
rus was conducted prior to 1950 and was not con-
cerned with environmental fate. More recent work
on the environmental impact of training with
Figure 1. Particles of white phosphorus (P4) isolated
white phosphorus munitions concentrated on
from Eagle River Flats sediment in 1994. These parti-
cles were deposited from smoke munitions fired into Eagle
downwind deposition of aerosols from the smoke
River Flats during army training. They were deposited
cloud (Marchetti 1979, Van Voris et al. 1987). These
prior to February 1990 when artillery training was sus-
studies examined white phosphorus particles
pended at Eagle River Flats. Lead shot, shown for scale, is
much smaller than the millimeter-size particles
2.7 mm in diameter.
(Fig. 1) found by examination of highly contami-
nated Eagle River Flats sediments. Lack of under-
standing of the environmental fate and transport
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
of white phosphorus residues precludes accurate
OF WHITE PHOSPHORUS
ecological assessments and efficient cleanup. This
report will review literature describing the chem-
History
As with many scientific discoveries, white
ical and physical properties of white phosphorus.
phosphorus was discovered by serendipity, in
Then laboratory and field experiments will be de-
1669 in Hamburg, when Hennig Brand distilled
scribed in which white phosphorus particles were
urine with sand and coal while attempting to iso-
incubated in Eagle River Flats sediments at vari-
late metals for alchemy experiments (Mellor
ous temperatures and moisture contents.
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