White phosphorus munitions

This paper describes the development of a system and facilities for safe, efficient, and accurate filling of white phosphorus (UP) munitions. This new development replaces dip-fill operations used by the U.S. Army for over thirty years, a production method that was hazardous to operating personnel and generated unacceptable quantities of phosphorus contaminated water and gas. The new development, Volumetric Filling, is relatively pollution free and exceeds the U.S. Army s standards for filling of white phosphorus munitions. 

Accuracy, volumetric filling of white phosphorus munitions, 171,173-174/ Air, ionized—See Ionized air Air blast waves, description, 3 Air locks... 

In the military, white phosphorus is used in ammunitions such as mortar and artillery shells, and grenades. When ammunitions containing white phosphorus are fired in the field, they burn and produce smoke. The smoke contains some unbumt phosphorus, but it mainly has various burned phosphorus products. In military operations, such smoke is used to conceal troop movements and to identify targets or the locations of friendly forces. White phosphorus munitions are intended to burn or firebomb the opponents, in other words, to effectively produce widespread damage but not kill the enemy. 

Steps must be taken to prevent personnel from coming into contact with white phosphorus and white phosphorus munitions. The hazards posed to sampling personnel from white phosphorus included the potential for fire and explosion, and the inhalation of toxic fumes produced during its burning. 

Use of a T-10 model to destroy white phosphorus munitions at Camp Navajo Army National Guard Base in Arizona ... 

Since World War II, Pine Bluff Arsenal has produced millions of white phosphorus (WP) munitions for the United States Department of o Defense. White phosphorus has a specific gravity of 1.728 at 145 F (the temperature that is normally used for WP filling operations) and melts at 111.4 F it ignites spontaneously in atmospheric air and generates a dense white 6moke, phosphorus pentoxide (P Oc). 

The Pine Bluff Arsenal white phosphorus volumetric filling system (U.S. Patents 4,002,268, 11 January 1976, and 4,043,490, dated 23 August 1977) was conceived and developed by Pine Bluff Arsenal in 1973 and has been used in filling UP munitions since early 1974. 

Most known cases of fatal or severe exposure to white phosphorus resulted from adults or children accidentally or deliberately swallowing rat poisons or fireworks or handling munitions containing white phosphorus. Other known instances of severe exposure of workers were a result of accidents in white... 

Serum phosphate was reported in three human cases of dermal white phosphorus bum following explosion of incendiary munitions. Serum phosphate ranged between 1.34 and 8.7 mg/100 mL. The normal range of adult human serum phosphate is 3.0-4.5 mg/100 mL (Harper 1969). No patterns with respect to bum intensity or time after exposure were evident. 

White Phosphorus. White phosphorus does not naturally occur in the environment. It has been manufactured in the past for use in such products as matches, fireworks, pest poisons, and incendiary munitions. It is primarily in the manufacture and use of these products where human exposure has occurred. White phosphorus is also commonly called yellow phosphorus. 

Pietras et al. 1968 Rao and Brown 1974 Rubitsky and Myerson 1949 Simon and Pickering 1976 Wechsler and Wechsler 1951) and several occupational exposure studies (Heimann 1946 Hughes et al. 1962 Kennon and Hallam 1944 Legge 1920 Ward 1928). Because most individuals vomited shortly after ingestion of white phosphorus, the amount of white phosphorus available for absorption is not known. In the occupational exposure studies, the concentration of airborne white phosphorus was not reported. White phosphorus is still used in the munitions industry and further studies of these workers may yield more useful information on dose-response relationships and provide quantifiable data that could be used to monitor individuals living near hazardous waste sites. 

WP/F is manufactured in the Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Molten white phosphorus stored under water is loaded in munitions shells either by the dip-fill or dry-fill methods (Berkowitz et al. 1981). In the dip-fill method, the shell canisters containing the felt wedges are passed through tubs of molten phosphorus under water. In the dry fill method, molten phosphorus is added directly to the canister under an inert atmosphere. The latter method greatly reduces phosphorus waste (phossy water) and environmental contamination (Spanggord et al. 1983). 

However, the concentration of elemental phosphorus in effluents from industries that produce phosphorus compounds is much lower, compared to industries that do not use chemical conversion processes for producing final products (e.g., WP/F production). White phosphorus also enters water when treated or untreated effluents are released from munitions production facilities that use white phosphorus. Before water recycling measures were implemented at the Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas, the effluent water (phossy water) from the facility contained <53.4 mg/L of white phosphorus (Pearson et al. 1976). 

Two important sources of elemental phosphorus in soil are the creation of slag piles during the production of white phosphorus, and the disposal of solid wastes containing elemental phosphorus in hazardous waste landfills (Berkowitz et al. 1981 Idler et al. 1981). The field use of WP/F and red phosphorus/butyl rubber smoke/obscurant releases elemental phosphorus into soil primarily as unburnt phosphorus in munitions (Berkowitz et al. 1981 ... 

Bird S. 1991. White phosphorus poisoning of birds at Eagle River Flats in Alaska The role of munitions compounds. Presented at Caribbean HAZTECH International Conference and Exhibition, San Juan, PR, Nov. 13-15, 1991. 

Walsh ME, Taylor S. 1993. Analytical method for white phosphorus residues in munitions-contaminated sediments. Analytica Chimica Acta 282(N1) 55-61. 

White phosphorus filled munitions are a major item in the current Army demilitarization inventory. Ammunition Equipment Office engineers are developing methods to punch a sized hole into the white phosphorus filled munition to control the rate at which burning occurs when the munition is processed through the deactivation furnace. By controlling the burning rate, the... 

Similarly, extensive U.S. experience with destruction of conventional and agent-like munitions (smokes, white phosphorus, CS agent) indicates that the basic CDC technology is cost effective for destroying projectiles and other types of explosive-containing munitions in a U.S. context. 

White Phosphorus White phosphorus, a tetrahedral molecule with four phosphorus atoms, bums rapidly in air to form phosphoric oxide (P4O10) powder, which has had several military applications. In the past, munitions makers produced phosphorus shells for artillery use. These shells also were effective weapons, because small particles of burning phosphoms stuck to clothing and skin. 

The Crane Army Ammunition Activity in Crane, Indiana, recovers white phosphorus from munitions by converting the phosphorus to phosphoric acid. The process produces marketable phosphoric acid and metal scrap. The acid conversion plant processes munitions from other Army facilities and has sold thousands of tons of phosphoric acid and scrap metal for its demilitarization operations. 

Phosphorus smokes are generated by a variety of munitions. Some of these munitions (such as the MA25 155-mm round) may, on explosion, distribute particles of incompletely oxidized white phosphorus. Contact with these particles can cause local burns, and systemic toxicity may occur if therapy is not administered. Therapy consists of topical use of a bicarbonate solution to neutralize phosphoric acids and mechanical removal and debridement of particles. A Wood s lamp in a darkened room may help to identify remaining luminescent particles. 

If you work in industries that use or manufacture white phosphorus or munitions containing white phosphorus. 

Subsequently, on April 2, 1996, another live incendiary white phosphorous shell was reported. The District of Columbia was told that this shell was found in the backyard and kept as a souvenir by the owner inside the house on the fireplace hearth. Although this munition would not have killed as many people as a poison gas shell, it could have quickly burned down the house and occupants because white phosphorus burns when exposed to air. 

At the end of May, Shadle expressed his satisfaction with the chemical offensive potential and ammunition status in the North African theater. His view seems to have been overly optimistic since smoke pots, tear gas, and HC smoke grenades were the only ammunition items available in sufficient supply. All the chemical supply officers reported urgent requests for unavailable white phosphorus grenades. The Twelfth Air Force reported limited quantities of ANM50A1 4-pound incendiary bombs, a few Mja yoo-pound incendiary bomb clusters, and a considerable number of My4 loo-pound incendiary bomb clusters. There was no other chemical ammunition in the theater although the New York port had promised that 120 days supply of high explosive and smoke shell was en route for the three chemical mortar battalions which had recently arrived in the theater. Aside from a small amount of artillery shell stored by Ordnance, no toxics were available in the theater and none was scheduled to arrive until the fall of 1943. The March theater plan for gas warfare, the first such plan, was based on meeting possible enemy gas attack with this plainly inadequate supply of artillery shell. The new War Department policy for retaliation in event of enemy initiation of gas warfare called for the use of aerial munitions as the principal gas weapons. Shadle s satisfaction with the toxic supply status can be explained by the fact that he did not con-... 

---