Army ammunition plants measurements

In order to characterize the concentration of dust flowing inside a duct, a measured amount of dust must be extracted over a known period of time. This collection velocity must be the same as the internal duct flow velocity to avoid altering the distribution of dust particle sizes. In addition, a number of sample points over the entire duct cross sectional area is necessary to define the overall dust concentration. This method of sampling, known as gravimetric sampling under isokinetic conditions, was used to determine the dust concentrations at the various manufacturing areas in the Army Ammunition Plants. 

Tetryl may be released to the air, water, and soil when old stores of the explosive ate destroyed by exploding or burning. However, tetryl has not been measured in air during any of these activities. Tetryl that was manufactured or stored at military installations, like Army ammunition plants, may still be present in the soil and water at or around these sites. Tetryl is not likely to evaporate into air from water or soil surfaces. However, tetryl may be present in air associated with dust from these sites. Tetryl appears to break-down rapidly in some soils. Picric acid, is one of the break down products of tetryl in soil. Tetryl probably does not easily travel from soil to groundwater. Erosion of soil from contaminated sites may release tetryl to nearby surface water. Once it is in the water, tetryl may dissolve or associate with small particles of suspended solids, sediments, or organic debris. Some of these particles will settle to the bottom. Tetryl breaks down rapidly in sunlit rivers and lakes but much more slowly in groundwater. It is not known whether tetryl will build up in fish, plants, or land animals. See Chapters 4 and 5 for more information on tetryl in the environment. 

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