Annual report 2001 on environmental studies (Armed forces)

Authors:

  • Ahlberg Mats

Publish date: 2002-01-01

Report number: FOI-R--0358--SE

Pages: 18

Written in: Swedish

Abstract

This report summarises the results of the research program Environmental studies during 2001. A compilation of all reports published 1995 - 2000 has been made. A pilot study investigating the possibilities of using maps to support the estimate environmental and industrial health hazards in international operations has been performed. Investigations of mixed soil materials indicate that micro-organisms are important for the binding of TNT to organic soil matter. Studies of lead bullets and soil from old battlefields show that the leakage of lead from bullet to soil has been very low during a time period of 300 years. The toxicity of three tested explosives (FOX12, CL20 and ADN) is affected by UV-A radiation. However, the acute toxicity of FOX7 is not affected. CL20 and FOX7 give rise to small changes in the growth of algae. Toxicity tests of soil extracts with daphnia magna give distinct answers and compare well with that of other methods. Temperature and pressure during extraction strongly affect the toxicity as measured by the cell test method. A grinding method has been developed for gunpowder and plastic bound explosives which is able to grind most materials. The material is first ground in a shredder and then by a colloid mill. Two methods for qualitative life cycle assessment have been compared with the results from a quantitative method. The two methods for simplified LCA show both advantages and disadvantages compared with each other and with a traditional quantitative LCA-method. The SLCA-method does not take the whole life cycle perspective into account and that is a deficiency which can give erroneous results. The MECO-method is quantitative when possible. It has to be adapted to Swedish conditions and may then be useful in connection with defence material acquisition.