Explosive Residues

Explosives are encountered in many forms due to legacy contamination resulting from past conflicts, disposal of munitions, military exercises, manufacturing and numerous other sources. Their inherent explosive risk is well documented, but there is a less obvious risk from the release of explosive substances into the environment and their subsequent uptake, via contact with soil, water and building materials affecting human health and property value.

RPS have independent specialist laboratories with extensive experience in the analysis of explosive residues and have the capability to analyse a wide range of matrices, including: soils, sludges, waters, swabs, building materials, tubes and filters for explosive residues.

This service is supported by an in house team of explosives and unexploded ordnance experts, consultants and planners. As legislation and risk based assessments continue to drive the requirement to test for explosive residues, in support of new planning and remediation projects, more emphasis has been placed on lower detection limits and faster response times. RPS can tailor the analysis package to fit the client’s requirements from on site clearance through to final confirmatory testing, by using state of the art instrumentation and analytical techniques.

Soils and plant material can be brought in for analysis from outside the European Union by using our FERA plant health licence.

Residues analysed:     Nitroglycerine (NG)

                                    Ethylene Glycol Dinitrate (EGDN)

                                    Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX)

                                    Cyclo-1,3,5,-trimethylene-2,4,6-trinitramine (RDX)

                                    Trinitro-2,4,6-phenylmethylnitramine (Tetryl)

                                    2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT)

                                    Pentaeryhritol tetranitrate (PETN)

                                    Hexanitrostilbene (HNS)

                                    Nitroguanadine (Picrite)

                                    2,4,6-Trinitrophenol (Picric Acid)

                                    2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT)

                                    2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT)

                                    Nitrocellulose (NC)