Identification of pollutants in ammunition hazardous waste sites by thermospray HPLC/MS

HPLC/MS using thermospray ionization (TSP) was applied to identify and quantify explosives and other pollutants in groundwater samples of an ammunition hazardous waste site, where mainly TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene), RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) and hexyl (2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexanitrodiphenylamine) were produced during World War II. In this polluted groundwater 31 compounds were identified including nitramines and their by-products, TNT and partially nitrated toluenes, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene and partially nitrated benzenes, aminonitrotoluenes and nitroanilines, hexyl, nitrophenols (including picric acid), nitrobenzoic acids and aminonitrobenzoic acids. HPLC/TSP-MS is well-suited for the identification of pollutants on hazardous waste sites, but less suitable for their quantification. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.