A Case Study of Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Determines Probable Chemicals Present at Other Military Ranges

Diane Curry, AMEC Earth & Environmental, 239 Littleton Rd. Suite 1B, Westford, MA 01886 , Tel:  978-692-9090 x304, Fax: 978-692-6633
Jay Clausen, AMEC Earth & Environmental, 239 Littleton Rd. Suite 1B, Westford, MA 01886 , Tel:  978-692-9090 x231, Fax: 978-692-6633
Joseph Robb, AMEC Earth & Environmental, 239 Littleton Rd. Suite 1B, Westford, MA 01886 , Tel:  978-692-9090 x353, Fax: 978-692-6633 
Ben Gregson, Army Impact Area Groundwater Study Program, PB 565/567 West Outer Road, Camp Edwards, MA 02542, Tel: 508-968-5821, Fax: 508-968-5286

Camp Edwards located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) is one of only a few ranges in the world that has been exhaustively studied.  Camp Edwards has been used for military training since 1911.  Activities include small arms, machine gun, artillery, mortar, ground to ground rocket, air to ground rocket, open burning/open (OB/OD), detonation of explosive ordinance and pyrotechnics training.  The Camp Edwards experience provides a depth of analysis allowing one to make recommendations on what compounds should be contaminants of concern at military ranges throughout the U. S. and elsewhere.  To date, over 7,800 surface soil samples, 1,500 deep soil, 3,900 monitoring well, 1,400 groundwater profile, 60 surface water and sediment, and 5 storm water runoff samples have been collected.  Data on over 200 analytes is being collected including explosives, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), metals, pesticides/herbicides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, perchlorate, and polychlorinated napthalenes (PCNs).  The typical analyte list for several analyte suites, including explosives, was expanded to include likely target compounds. In addition, an exhaustive review of tentatively identified compounds (TICs) was conducted. Based on the studies at Camp Edwards the likely contaminants are based on the particular site activity for that range.  This poster will identify and discuss which contaminants are of concern for military ranges.

Investigation of Bombing Impact on Quantity of Soil Organic Matter in Lithuanias Firing Grounds

Pranas Baltrėnas, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Environment Protection Department, Sauletekio al. 11, 2211, LT-2040 VILNIUS, Lithuania, Tel: +37069884300, Fax: +37052744731 , Email: Aak@ap.vtu.lt
Saulius Vasarevicius, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Environment Protection Department, Sauletekio al. 11, 2211, LT-2040 VILNIUS, Lithuania, Tel: +37068673581, Fax: +37052744731, Email:  Aai@ap.vtu.lt
Kristina Greiciute, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Environment Protection Department, Sauletekio al. 11, 2211, LT-2040 VILNIUS, Lithuania, Tel: +37065272335, Fax: +37052744731, Email: Kgrey@centras.lt

Soil is important component of biosphere. One of the main functions in soil is carried out by Soil Organic Matter (SOM). Physical, chemical and biological features of soil depends on the SOM, and causes the ability for plant growth. Each of the given features can differ according to the conditions like climate, land using, etc. Structure and features of soil can be caused by different factors both natural and not natural. The main natural factors, influencing the quantity of SOM in soils, are climate conditions (temperature, rain, etc.), aeration, pH level, microorganisms population etc. The quantity of SOM can decrease because of both agricultural military activities. Intensive land using for crops, or military activities (bombing in particular) causes the decrease of SOM in soils. Entire areas are disturbed when proceeding bombing trainings, and it leads even to the fertile lands turning into desert. A lot of lands with destroyed plant cover are in the Lithuanian firing grounds. A wide scale of activities are taking place in these lands, and bombing trainings too. Usually bombing trainings takes place in the same areas, so called tactical fields. Because of regular disturbation, the plant cover in such fields is poor, sometimes is missing, waste grounds are predominating. The results of completed research had shown that the decrease of SOM varied from 30 to 80% in the epicentres of explosions. The influence of thermal and physical impact of explosion wave was significant in about 3 and more metres from the explosion epicentres. The main topics of the copleted research was to find out the dependencies between quantity of SOM and the distance from explosion epicentre, also the power of explosion and etc. The results leaded to the conclusions concerning negative military impacts.

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