Annual report 2004 on Environmental Stydies (Armed Forces)

This report summarises the results of the research program Environmental studies during 2004. Two trilateral cooperation agreements have been signed, one concerning Environmental Aspects of Energetic Materials in which a field sampling exercise been undertaken at the shooting range abroad and one concerning Environmental Health risks in international operations. A pilot study concerning environmental aspects that have to be considered in international operations have been performed. A flexible system for studying the dispersion and decomposition of contaminants in soil has been constructed. In the development of toxicometric methods cells have been exposed to chosen substances such as cadmium and TNT. An improved method for the analysis of explosives in environmental samples has been developed and tested for TNT, RDX, HMX and CL-20. The method uses mass spectrometry and electro spray. Within the project Soil Remediation Centre North, financed by the European Union trace substances has been used to increase the understanding of how contaminants disperse in the soil above the ground water surface. This year the research concerning regaining of explosives has been directed towards evaluation of methods existing today in order to find out how they work for new compositions of explosives. The result shows that it clearly is possible to regain the explosive compositions of tomorrow. The research concerning the use of life cycle assessment methods in the procurement of military material is continuing in a new project. A conceptual model of an LCA database for ammunition has been developed and the search for which types of material and chemicals that should be included in such a database has begun. An investigation has been performed concerning how life cycle cost, LCC, can be developed to include also environmental costs show that there are several types that can be included in a LCC.