PAHs / Nitro / Explosives

Detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitroaromatic compounds, and explosive residues in environmental and industrial samples to evaluate combustion and contamination sources.

Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Overview

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of organic compounds composed of multiple fused aromatic rings. They are formed primarily during the incomplete combustion of organic materials such as coal, oil, wood, and gasoline. PAHs are widespread in the environment and can be found in air, water, soil, and food. Many PAHs are of concern because of their persistence, potential to bioaccumulate, and known carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Monitoring PAH levels is essential for evaluating environmental contamination, assessing exposure risks, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Test Methods

EPA Method 8100

Solutions

Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC–FID) provides a robust and reliable method for analyzing PAHs in environmental, food, and industrial samples. The GC system effectively separates complex mixtures of PAHs, while the FID offers sensitive and linear detection of hydrocarbons across a wide concentration range. GC–FID is valued for its accuracy, reproducibility, and ease of operation, making it ideal for routine monitoring and quality control applications. This method enables laboratories to quantify individual PAH compounds with high precision, supporting environmental assessments, contamination studies, and compliance with safety regulations.

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Nitroaromatics and Cyclic Ketones

Overview

Nitroaromatic compounds and cyclic ketones are important classes of organic chemicals used in the manufacture of explosives, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and industrial solvents. Nitroaromatics contain one or more nitro groups attached to an aromatic ring, while cyclic ketones feature a carbonyl group within a ring structure. Although these compounds have valuable industrial applications, some are toxic, persistent, and can contaminate soil and water through manufacturing or waste disposal processes. Monitoring their presence in environmental and industrial samples is essential for ensuring safety, assessing pollution, and meeting regulatory requirements.

Test Methods

EPA Method 8091

Solutions

Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detection (GC–ECD) provides a sensitive and selective technique for analyzing nitroaromatics and cyclic ketones. The ECD detector is highly responsive to compounds containing electronegative elements, such as nitrogen and oxygen, allowing precise detection even at trace levels. GC–ECD offers excellent stability, reproducibility, and resolution, making it well-suited for complex environmental and industrial matrices. This method enables laboratories to accurately identify and quantify these compounds, supporting environmental monitoring, contamination assessment, and quality control efforts with reliable, high-precision results.

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Nitroaromatics and Nitramines

Overview

Nitroaromatics and nitramines are classes of energetic compounds commonly used in explosives, propellants, and munitions. Nitroaromatics contain one or more nitro groups attached to an aromatic ring, while nitramines feature a nitro group bonded to a nitrogen atom. These compounds are often stable and resistant to natural degradation, allowing them to persist in the environment near manufacturing or testing sites. Because of their potential toxicity and environmental impact, accurate detection and quantification of nitroaromatics and nitramines are essential for monitoring contamination, assessing cleanup effectiveness, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Test Methods

EPA Method 8330A

Solutions

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detection (HPLC–UV) provides a reliable and precise method for analyzing nitroaromatics and nitramines in water, soil, and industrial samples. HPLC efficiently separates complex mixtures, while UV detection offers excellent sensitivity for compounds that absorb strongly in the ultraviolet range. This technique allows accurate quantification at trace levels and delivers reproducible results across diverse sample types. HPLC–UV is widely used for environmental monitoring, remediation studies, and quality control applications, offering laboratories a dependable and efficient approach for detecting these energetic and environmentally significant compounds.

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Nitrosamines

Overview

Nitrosamines are a class of nitrogen-containing organic compounds formed as byproducts in various industrial processes, during food processing, and through chemical reactions between amines and nitrosating agents. They are of significant concern because many nitrosamines are known or suspected carcinogens. These compounds can be found in environmental samples, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and drinking water at trace levels. Due to their toxicity and widespread occurrence, sensitive and accurate detection of nitrosamines is essential for ensuring product safety, environmental protection, and regulatory compliance.

Test Methods

EPA Method 8070A

Solutions

Gas Chromatography coupled with Nitrogen–Phosphorus Detection (GC–NPD) and Electrolytic Conductivity Detection (GC–ELCD) provides highly sensitive and selective methods for analyzing nitrosamines. The GC–NPD is particularly responsive to nitrogen-containing compounds, offering excellent selectivity and low detection limits, while GC–ELCD enhances specificity through conductivity-based detection after chemical conversion. Together, these techniques allow precise identification and quantification of nitrosamines across a range of sample matrices, including air, water, and industrial products. GC–NPD and GC–ELCD deliver reliable, reproducible results that support regulatory testing, environmental monitoring, and quality assurance programs.

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Explosives

Overview

Explosive compounds encompass a range of energetic organic molecules—including nitroaromatics (e.g., TNT), nitramines (e.g., RDX), nitrate esters, and other oxygen-rich species—used in military, mining, and demolition applications. These substances are characterized by their rapid exothermic decomposition and, in many cases, by the presence of strongly electronegative functional groups such as nitro or nitrate moieties. Beyond their intended uses, residues and by-products from manufacturing, storage, or detonation can contaminate soil, water, and air, posing environmental and human-health concerns. Accurate monitoring of explosives and their breakdown products is essential for site assessment, remediation, forensic investigations, and safety compliance.

Test Methods

EPA Method 8095

Solutions

Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detection (GC–ECD) offers a sensitive and practical approach for detecting many halogenated and nitro-containing explosive compounds. The ECD responds strongly to electronegative functional groups—particularly nitro and halogen substituents—making it well suited for trace-level screening of nitroaromatics and related analytes in complex matrices such as soil, water, and air. Typical workflows include sample extraction and clean-up to remove interferences, chromatographic separation of target compounds, and ECD-based detection for high sensitivity and good selectivity. GC–ECD delivers reproducible quantitation over a broad dynamic range and is widely used for environmental monitoring, post-blast residue analysis, and routine quality control where reliable, low-level detection of explosive residues is required.

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Selected explosives and related compounds by HPLC-UV

Overview

Explosives and related compounds, such as TNT, RDX, and their degradation products, are environmental contaminants of concern due to their persistence and potential toxicity in soil. These analytes can originate from military training areas, manufacturing sites, or improper disposal of munitions. Accurate identification and quantification are essential for assessing contamination levels, evaluating environmental impact, and supporting remediation efforts. Because these compounds often exist at low concentrations and may degrade or interact with soil components, precise analytical methods are required to ensure reliable detection and measurement.

Test Methods

ISO 11916-2-Soil quality

Solutions

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection provides a robust and sensitive approach for analyzing explosives and related compounds in soil. The HPLC system separates individual analytes based on their chemical properties, while the UV detector measures absorbance at specific wavelengths characteristic of each compound. This technique offers high precision, reproducibility, and the capability to handle complex soil extracts. Modern HPLC instruments, equipped with automated sample preparation, temperature control, and advanced data processing software, enhance method efficiency and accuracy. As a result, laboratories can confidently generate quantitative data to support soil quality assessments and environmental compliance programs.

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Selected explosives and related compounds by GC-ECD / GC-MS

Overview

Explosives and related compounds, such as TNT, RDX, and their degradation products, are environmental contaminants of concern due to their persistence and potential toxicity in soil. These analytes can originate from military training areas, manufacturing sites, or improper disposal of munitions. Accurate identification and quantification are essential for assessing contamination levels, evaluating environmental impact, and supporting remediation efforts. Because these compounds often exist at low concentrations and may degrade or interact with soil components, precise analytical methods are required to ensure reliable detection and measurement.

Test Methods

ISO 11916-2-Soil quality

Solutions

Gas chromatography (GC) coupled with electron capture detection (ECD) or mass spectrometric detection (MS) provides a powerful and versatile approach for the determination of explosives and related compounds in soil. The GC system separates volatile and semi-volatile analytes, while the ECD offers high sensitivity for electron-capturing compounds such as nitroaromatics. When coupled with mass spectrometry, GC–MS enables highly specific compound identification based on mass fragmentation patterns. Modern GC systems, equipped with automated injection, precise temperature control, and advanced data acquisition software, enhance accuracy, reproducibility, and throughput. These capabilities make GC–ECD and GC–MS indispensable tools for comprehensive soil quality assessment and environmental monitoring of explosive residues.

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Tetrazene

Overview

Tetrazene is a nitrogen-rich energetic compound commonly used as a sensitizer in primer and detonator formulations; in environmental and forensic contexts it is of interest because of its reactivity, potential toxicity, and the risk it poses when present in residues. Chemically it is polar and can be thermally and hydrolytically labile, so it may transform during improper storage or harsh extraction. Because tetrazene can occur at low concentrations in complex matrices (soil, debris, or residues) and may co-extract with other organic and inorganic compounds, analytical methods must preserve the intact molecule, control matrix interferences, and provide sufficient sensitivity and selectivity for reliable identification and quantification.

Test Methods

EPA Method 8331

Solutions

Reversed-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection is well suited to measure tetrazene when the method is designed to protect the analyte and maximize signal: gentle, cold or buffered extraction and cleanup (for example controlled solid-liquid extraction followed by SPE) minimize degradation and remove matrix interferences; selection of a column chemistry that retains polar, nitrogen-rich species (or use of ion-pairing reagents) improves chromatographic resolution; and careful choice of a detection wavelength where tetrazene absorbs provides the best UV response. Modern HPLC systems with temperature control, inert flow paths, automated sample handling and validated calibration routines (matrix-matched standards, recovery spikes, and appropriate QC samples) deliver the precision, sensitivity and reproducibility needed for routine tetrazene testing while documenting method performance for regulatory or forensic use.

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Nitroglycerine

Overview

Nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate, NG) is a nitro-ester explosive and vasodilator that is polar, thermally and hydrolytically labile, and prone to adsorption and biodegradation in environmental matrices. It is encountered at munitions ranges, manufacturing and disposal sites and is typically present at low concentrations in complex soil extracts; these properties make preservation during sampling/extraction and sensitive, selective analysis essential for reliable identification and quantification. Laboratories therefore treat NG as both a chemical hazard and an energetic material, and method choice must balance analyte stability, matrix cleanup and analytical sensitivity.

Test Methods

EPA Method 8332

Solutions

High-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) provides a reliable and accessible approach for the determination of nitroglycerin. The method uses reversed-phase chromatography—typically with a C18 column—to separate nitroglycerin from co-extracted compounds under controlled temperature and mobile-phase conditions that minimize degradation.

A mobile phase composed of water and an organic solvent such as acetonitrile or methanol enables good resolution and stable retention. Detection is performed at a low UV wavelength (around 210–220 nm) where nitroglycerin exhibits characteristic absorbance, allowing quantification through calibration with external or internal standards. Careful optimization of extraction, sample cleanup, and injection procedures helps maintain analyte stability and reproducibility. With modern HPLC-UV systems featuring precise flow control, automated sampling, and validated calibration routines, laboratories can achieve accurate, consistent results for nitroglycerin monitoring in environmental or quality assurance applications.

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Established in 2003,

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