NCJ Number
46847
Date Published
1974
Length
19 pages
Annotation
INVESTIGATIONS OF AEROSOL SPRAY DETECTOR SYSTEMS USING REAGENTS MILD ENOUGH FOR THE DETERMINATION OF TRACE LEVELS OF EXPLOSIVES ON SKIN, PAPER, AND CLOTHING WERE UNDERTAKEN.
Abstract
HAVING DETERMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF AN AEROSOL SPRAY DETECTOR USING 5 PERCENT AQUEOUS ETHYLENEDIAMINE TO DETECT TRACES OF POLYNITRO AROMATIC EXPLOSIVES ON HUMAN SKIN AND PAPER, FURTHER STUDIES WERE UNDERTAKEN TO INCREASE THE SENSITIVITY AND REDUCE THE TOXICITY OF THIS REAGENT. IN ADDITION, OTHER COMMON CHEMICAL INDICATORS AND DYES POTENTIALLY SUITABLE FOR INCORPORATION INTO AN AEROSOL SPRAY DEVICE WERE INVESTIGATED. DYNAMITE, TRINITROTOLUENE (TNT), PENTAERYTHRITOL TETRANITRATE (PETN), AND C-3 WERE THE EXPLOSIVES CHOSEN FOR TESTING. A STARCH-KI DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE SOLUTION GAVE A PRONOUNCED BLUE REACTION ON SPOTS OF PETN. DIPHENYL AMINE, 1 PERCENT, IN ALCOHOL YIELDS A YELLOW-GREEN SPOT WHEN SPRAYED ON PETN OR DYNAMITE AND EXPOSED TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION. NONE OF SEVEN REDOX INDICATORS IN ALCOHOL SOLUTION TESTED YIELDED SIGNIFICANT COLOR CHANGES WHEN SPRAYED ON FILTER PAPERS PREVIOUSLY SPOTTED WITH EXPLOSIVES. RESULTS OF TESTS, COUPLED WITH EARLIER FINDINGS INDICATING DETECTABILITY OF C-3 AND TNT WITH THE ETHYLENE DIAMINE SOLUTION, DEMONSTRATE FEASIBILITY AEROSOL SPRAY EXPLOSION DETECTION FOR THE BROAD RANGE OF EXPLOSIVES ANTICIPATED. FURTHER RESEARCH WILL BE NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL OF OTHER REDOX INDICATORS AND PHOTOSENSITIZERS. TOXICITY LEVELS STILL REQUIRE DEFINITION AND CONFIRMATION. IN ADDITION, INTERACTIONS OF DETECTORS WITH TYPES OF PAPER OR INK WILL REQUIRE EXAMINATION AS TO THEIR EFFECTS ON CLOTHING, LUGGAGE, ETC. THE MOST PROMISING REAGENT SYSTEMS WILL BE PACKAGED IN AEROSOL CANS FOR PRELIMINARY FIELD TESTING. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)