Sources of explosive waste

Many DOD sites are contaminated with explosive waste as a result of explosives manufacturing munitions load, assemble, and pack operations explosives machining, casting, and curing open bum and open detonation operations and laboratory testing of munitions. Based on the experience of the U.S. Army Environmental Center (AEC) of DOD, one of the major explosive wastes of concern at DOD sites are residues from land disposal of explosives-contaminated process water. 

Explosives-contaminated waters are subdivided into two categories red water, which comes strictly from the manufacture of TNT and pink water, which includes any washwater associated with load, assemble, and pack operations or with the demilitarization of munitions involving contact with finished TNT. Despite their names, red and pink water cannot be identified by color. Both are clear when they emerge from their respective processes and subsequently turn pink, light red, dark red, or black when exposed to light. The chemical composition of pink water varies depending on the process from which it is derived red water has 

The soil environment is the one most commonly affected by explosives wastes, primarily because (1) spill sites and disposal areas (e.g., bum pits) at packing and production facilities are predominantly in upland areas and (2) most explosive compounds are solids with low aqueous solubility. Extensive groundwater contamination is associated primarily with wastewater lagoons and leach pits at production and packing facilities. Table 7.3 indicates the primary constituents of waste streams. 

The primary constituents of waste streams from explosives operations that result in soil contamination are nitroaromatics and nitramines including the following  

The most frequently occurring impurities and degradation products from these include  

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