Disposal of ammunition from World War One (1914 -1918) on the western front by Open-Burning. The fingerprint of 100-year old forgotten contaminations. - BRGM - Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières Accéder directement au contenu
Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2024

Disposal of ammunition from World War One (1914 -1918) on the western front by Open-Burning. The fingerprint of 100-year old forgotten contaminations.

Daniel Hubé
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 932418

Résumé

During the World War One, ammunition was used on an unprecedented scale. When hostilities ceased, huge ammunition dumps remained as fired unexploded ordnances. There was an urgent need to dispose of 2.5 to 3 million tons of hazardous ammunition during the interwar period. More than 200 old ammunition destruction sites have been identified in France. New methods for safely breaking down projectiles, including Open-Burning (OB), were subsequently developed and operated, causing severe contaminations of topsoil and likely contributing to the contamination of groundwater by perchlorate and nitroaromatics compounds (NAC) on a regional scale. However, few studies (often fragmentary) are available on this topic. Recent research was carried out on 9 abandoned burning-grounds in France and Belgium to fingerprint the contamination and assess risks to land and groundwater use. Because the possible presence of warfare material and extremely high concentrations of hazardous compounds, special methods have been developed to safely sample OB residues and soils. Metals, NAC, chemical warfare agents and theirs by-products, chlorinated and brominates dioxins (PCDD/F, PBDD/F) were analyzed. Parts of munitions have also been collected to be characterized by EOD experts. No vegetation grows at some OB locations due to extreme contamination by heavy metals (Zn: 10 to 100 g /kg DM, As: 2 to 110 g/kg DM) and PCDD/F (1,000 to 4,000,000 ng/kg DM). Isomer distribution patterns indicate that PCDF were the preferred products of burning when primary precursors are chlorinated diphenylarsenical compounds, while ∑PCDF equal ∑PCDD when monoaromatic compounds and/or sulfur mustard (dichlorodiethyl sulfide) was decomposed. There are some historical and geoscientifical evidences that the fires were out of control with temperature ranging from ca. 300 °C to up to 1,500 °C, over PCDD/F pyrolysis temperature. PCDD/F formation in OB fires may drastically increase when temperature decreased in the presence of precursors mass excess. Inorganic arsenical compounds were associated with organic As by-products where arsenical shells loaded with the sternutator diphenylchlorarsine were open-burned. The fingerprint of contamination is to be linked with the composition of the ammunition being destroyed, and the manner to operated burnings, giving i) valuable historical information that is missing in archive records, and ii) data how to assess OB sites in order to protect public health and environment.
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Dates et versions

hal-04509317 , version 1 (18-03-2024)

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  • HAL Id : hal-04509317 , version 1

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Daniel Hubé. Disposal of ammunition from World War One (1914 -1918) on the western front by Open-Burning. The fingerprint of 100-year old forgotten contaminations.. SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting, SETAC, May 2024, Seville (Spain), Spain. ⟨hal-04509317⟩

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