(115t) Environmental Monitoring of Energetic Chemicals in Water and Soil

1 Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, P.R.

2 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, P.R.

The use and production of explosive-containing devices results in the release of explosive related chemicals (ERCs) into the environment. Some of these chemicals pose detrimental effects to the environment and public health. It is, therefore, necessary to detect ERCs and remove them from the environment. This requires knowledge on the fate and transport of these contaminants in water and soil. These study aims at enhancing the sampling and monitoring of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene (DNT) in the environment. This is accomplished by collecting samples of groundwater and soil under given environmental conditions and analyzing them for TNT, DNT and other constituents in the samples. Groundwater sampling and monitoring is conducted in an aquifer located in the west coast of Puerto Rico. Groundwater monitoring involves measuring water levels and standard water quality parameters. Aquifer samples are collected from a well and extracted with isoamyl acetate for analysis in a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with an electron-capture detector (ECD). Aqueous samples are also analyzed in a high pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC). Soil samples from a clay soil contaminated with TNT and DNT are extracted with acetonitrile and analyzed in a HPLC. Sample analysis is compared to ground truth values to determine efficiency, and continue to enhance sampling and analysis methodology.