Sampling, Army ammunition

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. 

A summarization of all the data collected at the three Army Ammunition Plants is given in Table 1. The maximum values obtained at each sample location have been listed in this table. Although the results from the different processes are difficult to compare, these qualitative observations can be made. 

Most of the population will not be exposed to 1,3-DNB or 1,3,5-TNB. If you live or work near an Army ammunition plant or other chemical manufacturer, you may be exposed to these compounds by contaminated drinking water, food, air, or soil. At this time, it is not known how much of these compounds you might consume or how much might be in the air. We also do not know how many workers are exposed to the compounds. Both 1,3-DNB and 1,3,5-TNB have been found in water and soil at some Army ammunition plants. Groundwater samples had levels of 1,3-DNB ranging from... 

No tetryl was detected (detection limit of 20 pg/L) in samples from 44 groundwater sites, 23 surface water sites, or 5 treatment lagoons located at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant in Tennessee (Army 1980). In addition, sediment samples from the 5 lagoons did not show tetryl to be present (detection limit of 90 pg/L). Tetryl was detected in groundwater samples taken at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant at a maximum concentration of 49 pg/L it did not exceed the level of detection (2.9 pg/L) in any surface water samples (Army 1982c). 

Tetryl was detected in sediment samples taken at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant at a maximum concentration of 33 pg/gram (Army 1982c). However, all soil samples were below the level of detection (2 pg/gram). 

No data are available regarding levels of RDX in outdoor air. However, indoor air samples collected at Holtson Army ammunition plant in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1974 contained RDX levels ranging from not detected (<0.5 mg/m [4.5 ppm]) to 60 mg/m (546 ppm (Army 1975). A more recent study found that RDX was detected at a concentration of 0.032 mg/m (0.29 ppm) in the particulate fraction of one indoor air sample taken from the incorporation area of Holtson Army ammunition plant in 1986 (Bishop et al. 1988). 

Ocean floor sediment samples taken in 1971 from a munitions dumping area 85 miles west of Cape Flattery, Washington, and similar samples taken 172 miles south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, were analyzed for RDX (Navy 1972). No RDX was found in any of the sediment samples analyzed. RDX was found on-site at the Savanna Army Depot in Illinois in soil samples at a maximum concentration of 12.3 ppm (ATSDR 1989c). RDX was found at the Louisiana Army ammunition plant in soil and drainage sediments at concentrations ranging from <5 to 602 mg/kg (Army 1988). 

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