Concentrations of HMX, RDX, TNT, and 2, 4-DNT are deter-mined in munitions wastewater. Aqueous samples are diluted with an equal volume of 76/24 (v/v) methanol-acetonitrile, filtered through a 0.4-µ polycarbonate membrane, and an-alyzed by reversed-phase HPLC using an LC-8 column with 50/38/12 (v/v/v) water-methanol-acetonltrlle. The method provided linear calibration curves to at least several hundred micrograms per liter. Detection limits were conservatively estimated to be 26, 22, 14, and 10 pq/L for HMX, RDX, TNT, and 2, 4-DNT, respectively, with corresponding standard de-viations of±3.4, 3.3, 4.4, and 4.6 pq/L up to concentrations of 250 pq/L. At higher concentrations, the percent relative standard deviation values were approximately±2% for HMX and RDX and±4% for TNT and DNT. A ruggedness test involving the major manipulative steps In the procedure In-dicated that consistent results required glass sample con-tainers, preconditioning of filters, and careful maintenance of sample-to-organlc solvent ratio. The method was tested with munition wastewater from several Army ammunition plants and found to perform adequately for load and pack wastewaters, wastewater from HMX/RDX manufacture, and con-taminated groundwater.

One of the Army’s most serious water pollution problems is the disposal of wash waters used to clean equipment and interior surfaces at munition manufacturing and demilitari-zation facilities. It has been estimated that up to 2 X 106 L of this type of wastewater is generated daily from a single production line (1).