Table 2. Masses of the various explosives identified in residues from the 81-mm mortar rounds detonated with C4 at Camp Ethan Allen, Vermont.

Table 3. Estimates for total residues deposited from detonations of 81-mm rounds with C4 at Camp Ethan Allen, Vermont.

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Table 2 (cont'd).

c. Detonation number 3.

Sample

M3-S4

M3-S3

M3-S2

M3-S1

Distance from crater (m)

Analytes detected:

RDX

HMX

TNT

and it can potentially sorb to the aluminum tail fins. NG

the same factor as RDX and HMX, but they remained

is also present in the ignition cartridge within the round.

several orders of magnitude lower than RDX. The con-

NG is frequently found in post-blast propellant residue

centrations of NG were about the same as that found

(Yinon and Zitrin 1993) and it has been detected on

for round detonation 1, which implies that the source

demolition ranges (Fine et al. 1984). The concentra-

of the NG is different from that for RDX, HMX, and

tions of NG in the snow cover were sufficiently high to

TNT. Surface concentrations of RDX, HMX, and TNT

saturate the ECD, but the NG peaks were minor in the

for round detonation 3 were intermediate between those

HPLC-UV chromatograms at 254 nm. The NG concen-

found for rounds 1 and 2, while the concentrations found

trations were sufficiently high in some of the samples

for NG remained similar to that found for rounds 1 and

to obtain confirmatory spectra using the Photodiode Ar-

2 (Table 2c).

ray. NG is apparently less completely consumed in the

The lowest concentrations in these surface snow

detonation than TNT and RDX, based on the mass of NG

samples were generally found for samples collected the

found versus the amount of NG present in the round.

farthest away from the detonation; however, the oppo-

The pattern and degree of contamination from sub-

site was not true for the highest concentrations, which

sequent detonations varied considerably (Tables 2b and

were generally found at some intermediate distance.

c). The residues found in the surface snow collected

The surface areas where residues were deposited for

from the second detonation (Table 2b) were much

these three detonations were estimated from the visual

deposition of soot: 158 m2 for area 1, 81 m2 for area 2,

greater than those observed for the first one. In addi-

and 74 m2 for area 3. The larger area of deposition for

tion to the four analytes detected for the first detona-

tion (RDX, HMX, NG, and TNT), four additional

the first detonation may be a result of using the steel

explosives-related analytes (2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT,

plate under the round, thereby deflecting a greater per-

2-ADNT, and 4-ADNT) were detected in some or all

centage of the debris upward and out. The surface areas

of the samples from the second detonation. Surface con-

sampled for these three plumes were 24, 6.0, and 4.7

centrations of RDX ranged from 369 to 4430 g/m2;

m2, respectively. Thus, the percentages of the contam-

this is over 300 times the concentrations found for the

inated surface area that were sampled were 15, 7.4 and

first detonation. The concentrations of HMX were also

6.3%, respectively.

much greater than those found near the first detona-

If the mean surface concentrations that were

tion; concentrations ranged from 13 to 20% of the RDX.

obtained for each of these three areas are representa-

The concentrations of TNT were also higher by about

tive of the total surface area in which deposition was

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