US EPA

1470859 

Journal Article 

Products from the Detonation of Trinitrotoluene and Some Other Navy Explosives in Air and Nitrogen. II. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons 

Johnson, JH; Erickson, ED; Smith, SR; Knight, DJ; Fine, DA; Heller, CA 

1988 

Yes 

Journal of Hazardous Materials
ISSN: 0304-3894
EISSN: 1873-3336 

NIOSH/00180739 

18 

2 

161-170 

English 

The nature and quantities of products produced by the underwater and surface level detonations of a number of typical United States Navy explosive agents were examined, with emphasis on those products of high molecular weight, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The explosive compounds studied included cast and pressed TNT, case PBXN-102, C4, H-6, Composition-B, and pentolite. The major polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons common to most samples included naphthalene (91203), methyl-naphthalene (1321944), and pyrene (129000) and its isomers, plus phenyl-isocyanide (103719), dinitrotoluene (25321146), and trinitrotoluene (118967). The higher molecular weight post detonation products were adsorbed on particulate matter and these were rapidly diffused from or expelled from the detonation chamber. Neither air nor nitrogen atmosphere detonations produced quantities of polycyclic aromatic compounds that could be considered a health hazard. Only very small amounts of polycyclic aromatic compounds were produced in the detonations and these pose no hazard to the environment. Nonreproducible concentrations and varieties of species of phthalate esters were produced in all detonation samples but the authors have no explanation for this finding. 

DCN-169253; Combustion products; Explosives; Military personnel; Airborne particles; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Phthalates; Organo nitrogen compounds; Polycyclic hydrocarbons