Hand Grenade Residuals (Environmental Security Technology Certification Program)
Abstract
The Department of Defense operates hundreds of hand grenade ranges for training purposes. The majority of hand grenades used at fixed position ranges are fragmentation grenades that are typically composed of a steel shell and composition B explosive material. Measurable explosive levels have been observed in hand grenade range soils at levels in the low parts per billion up to percent levels. Previous attempts to measure hand grenade residues have used snow, tarps, and trays as collection media, but each method had some disadvantages. In this research, hand grenades were detonated in a large octagon test chamber at the Aberdeen Training Center, allowing for a more complete collection of the debris. Initially, residues from two hand grenades were analyzed for explosives and metals by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg. Residues from 30 hand grenades were analyzed for explosives and metals content. On average, the mass of RDX associated with the hand grenade residue was 0.366 mg with a 101-percent recovery of the iron that composes the steel grenade shell. The results from this study will help determine the potential soil loading of residuals on grenade training ranges.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA500888
Entities
People
- Catherine C. Nestier
- Deborah R. Felt
- Gene L. Fabian
- Gregory O'connor
- Jeffrey L. Davis
- Steven L. Larson
- William Andy Martin
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center