Investigation of a new passive sampler for the detection of munitions compounds in marine and freshwater systems

Abstract

Over the last century, unexploded ordnances have been disposed of in marine shelf systems because of a lack of cost-effective alternatives. Underwater unexploded ordnances have the potential to leak 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), commonly used chemical munitions, and contaminate local waters, biota, and sediments. The rate at which this contamination occurs in the environment is relatively unknown, and the cost- and time-prohibitive nature of sampling across sites makes mapping difficult. In the present study we assessed the efficacy of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) for sampling relatively soluble munitions compounds over a range of environmental conditions (i.e., changes in temperature and salinity) and optimized the composition of the passive sampling polymer. The EVA sampler was able to successfully detect ambient concentrations of lingering munitions compounds from field sites containing unexploded ordnances. The sampler affinity for the munitions in terms of an EVA-water partition coefficient was greater than the standard octanol water values for each target compound. Partitioning of compounds onto EVA over the natural ranges of salinity did not change significantly, although uptake varied consistently and predictably with temperature. Increasing the vinyl acetate to ethylene ratio of the polymer corresponded to an increase in uptake capacity, consistent with enhanced dipole-dipole interactions between the munitions and the polymer. This sampler provides a cost-effective means to map and track leakage of unexploded ordnances both spatially and temporally. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1990-1997. © 2018 SETAC.

Release of Munitions Constituents in Aquatic Environments Under Realistic Scenarios and Validation of Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers for Monitoring

“…Results from the present study and from Rosen et al (2017) demonstrate good agreement within a factor of 1.5 in estimating MC concentration from POCIS and with grab samples from slow-release sources. In addition to POCIS, the ethylene-vinyl acetate sampler has been shown to successfully detect ambient concentrations of MC from field sites containing unexploded ordnances, but comparison of sampler-derived and grab sample concentrations to evaluate accuracy was not reported (Warren et al 2018).…”

Effects of climate change on marine dumped munitions and possible consequence for inhabiting biota

“…Yet only limited information is available on how changes in salinity may influence corrosion of munition shells and the faith of organic munition compounds. Sorption of munition compounds to passive samplers did not vary with natural salinity gradients [87]. With an in situ study, Beck et al [7] measured dissolution of TNT in a salinity range from 15.4 to 18.2 ppt and conclude that a salinity effects is rather small compared to other factors.…”

“…On the other hand, sorption of TNT to marine sediments, sand and silt was inversely correlated to temperature change [5]. In addition, the absorption of TNT and RDX in passive samplers was inversely correlated to temperature change [87].…”