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Vapor phase transport of unexploded ordnance compounds through soils
Author(s) -
Ravikrishna Raghunathan,
Yost Sally L.,
Price Cynthia B.,
Valsaraj Kalliat T.,
Bran James M.,
Miyares Paul H.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620211003
Subject(s) - unexploded ordnance , soil water , environmental chemistry , environmental science , vapor phase , phase (matter) , chemistry , soil science , geology , remote sensing , physics , organic chemistry , thermodynamics
Abstract Unexploded ordnance(UXO) is a source of concern at several U.S. Department of Defense(DOD) sites. Localization of munitions and fate and transport of the explosive compounds from these munitions are a major issue of concern. A set of laboratory experiments were conducted in specially designed flux chambers to measure the evaporative flux of three explosive compounds (2,4‐dinitrotoluene, 2,6‐dinitrotoluene, and 1,3‐dinitrobenzene) from three different soils. The effect of different soil moisture contents, the relative humidity of air contacting the soil surface, and soil temperature on the chemical fluxes were evaluated. A diffusion model was used to describe the chemical transport mechanism in the soil pore air. The soil‐air partition constant was treated as a fit parameter in the model because of the uncertainty in the a priori estimation. The model predicts the qualitative trends of the experimental fluxes satisfactorily. Under extremely dry conditions, the flux decreased more rapidly than that predicted by the model. The fluxes from soils at 24°C were higher than those at 14°C, indicating a larger volatilization driving force at the higher temperature.