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Nunziata F, De Felicis D, Donghi M, Bemporad E, Capone B, Palumbo G, Rotter G. Structural segregation in GSR from mercuric primers. A preliminary study. Forensic Sci Int 2024; 355:111931. [PMID: 38232575 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.111931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Since the second half of the XX century, primer mixtures based on mercury fulminate have become a rare occurrence on small ammunition markets in Western Europe and North America. As a consequence, Hg-containing gunshot residue (GSR) particles have not been as deeply investigated as residues from lead-based primer mixtures. As a matter of fact, no mention of GSR particles from mercuric primers is made by the current ASTM standard procedure for gunshot residue analysis. However, those laboratories dealing with ammunition and firearms produced in Eastern Europe or Asia still have a forensic interest in Hg-containing GSR. In this paper, a brief description of chemical composition and inner morphology of GSR particles from three different mercuric primers is reported. Regarding composition, arguments are given to promote SbSnHg residues to Characteristic of GSR particles when mercuric primers are discharged. From a morphological point of view, presence of inner nodules and other inhomogeneities were shown in GSR particles milled in a FIB/SEM. Moreover, mercury vaporization under the electron beam was observed for a particle reduced to a lamella. Mercury evanescence in GSR was interpreted in terms of mercury segregation during particle formation and higher mobility of Hg atoms in presence of defects (vacancies) in a strained lattice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felice Nunziata
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili (STEMS), Via Marconi 4, 80125 Napoli, Italy.
| | - Daniele De Felicis
- Università degli studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Informatica e delle Tecnologie Aeronautiche, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146 Roma, Italy
| | - Matteo Donghi
- Arma dei Carabinieri, Reparto Investigazioni Scientifiche, Parco Ducale 3, 43120 Parma, Italy
| | - Edoardo Bemporad
- Università degli studi Roma Tre, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Informatica e delle Tecnologie Aeronautiche, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00146 Roma, Italy
| | - Brenda Capone
- Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Viale Lincoln 5, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Palumbo
- Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Dipartimento di Economia, Management, Istituzioni, Laboratorio di Scienze Merceologiche, Via Vicinale Cupa Cintia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Gabriele Rotter
- Università degli Studi di Messina, Scuola di Specializzazione in Medicina Legale, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
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Gosnell KJ, Heimbürger-Boavida LE, Beck AJ, Ukotije-Ikwut PR, Achterberg EP. World war munitions as a source of mercury in the southwest Baltic Sea. Chemosphere 2023; 345:140522. [PMID: 37879375 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) fulminate was used as a primary fuse in World War (WW) munitions, and may consequently be a Hg source for impacted environments. Mercury is a conspicuous and persistent pollutant, with methylmercury (MeHg) acting as a notorious neurotoxin. Considerable amounts of munitions were intentionally dumped in the North Sea and Baltic Sea following the First and Second WWs. After more than 70 years on the seafloor many munitions have corroded and likely release explosive compounds, including Hg fulminate. The Germany coastal city of Kiel was a manufacturing centre for submarines, and accordingly a prominent target for bombing and post-war disarmament. We collected water and sediment samples around Kiel Bay to assess regional levels and quantify any Hg contamination. The munition dump site Kolberger Heide (KH) and a former anti-aircraft training center Dänisch-Nienhof are situated in Kiel Bay, and were targeted for sampling. Sediment Hg concentrations around KH were notably elevated. Average Hg concentrations in KH sediments were 125 ± 76 ng/g, compared to 14 ± 18 ng/g at background (control) sites. In contrast, dissolved Hg in the water column exhibited no site variations, all ranging between 0.8 and 2.1 pM. Methylmercury in sediments and waters did not have enhanced concentrations amongst sites (<30 pg/g and <50 fM, respectively). Sediment-water exchange experiments showed elevated Hg and MeHg fluxes (i.e. >400 pmol m-2 d-1 MeHg) at one KH location, however remaining cores had low to no Hg and MeHg output (<0-27 pmol m-2 d-1 MeHg). Thus, sediments in Kiel Bay proximate to WW munitions could harbor and form a source of Hg, however water column mixing and removal processes attenuate any discharge from the seafloor to overlying waters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aaron J Beck
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Gosnell KJ, Beck AJ, Müller P, Keßler A, Achterberg EP. Effects of salinity and temperature on seawater dissolution rate of initial detonation agent mercury fulminate. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 185:114311. [PMID: 36343545 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury fulminate (HgFu) was used as an initial detonator for World War I and II munitions. Its presence in previously discarded and dumped munitions could potentially supply mercury pollution into coastal ecosystems where bygone weaponries reside. There is evidence that historical munitions have already contributed mercury pollution in coastal environments, and millions remain embedded in sediments and subjected to further weakening via corrosion under environmental conditions. Experiments were undertaken assessing HgFu dissolution under varying temperature and salinity conditions to constrain controls on mercury release into marine environments. Our results show that HgFu discharge is strongly temperature dependent, with dissolution rate constants increasing from ∼0.4 mg cm-2 d-1 at 5 °C to ∼2.7 mg cm-2 d-1 at 30 °C. No significant differences were observed between freshwater and seawaters up to 36 psu, except at 5 °C. These experiments provide a basis for modeling HgFu release from underwater munitions and its dynamics in coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron J Beck
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Paul Müller
- Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, Pfinztal, Germany
| | - Armin Keßler
- Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, Pfinztal, Germany
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Bełdowski J, Szubska M, Siedlewicz G, Korejwo E, Grabowski M, Bełdowska M, Kwasigroch U, Fabisiak J, Łońska E, Szala M, Pempkowiak J. Sea-dumped ammunition as a possible source of mercury to the Baltic Sea sediments. Sci Total Environ 2019; 674:363-373. [PMID: 31005838 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
After World War II, as a move toward Germany demilitarization, up to 385,000 t of munitions were sunk in the Baltic Sea. Munition containing various harmful substances, including chemical warfare agents (CWA) and explosives, that can affect marine biota were dumped on the seafloor. Some of those objects contained mercury, either as elemental mercury or mercury compounds (e.g., mercury fulminate, a common explosive primer), and thus could act as a specific local source of mercury in the dumping areas. Unfortunately, there is a lack of information on how dumped munitions impact the mercury concentrations in the Baltic Sea sediments. This report aims to answer the question how much sedimentary mercury in the dumping areas originates from munitions and to determine to what extent the mercury present in those areas originates from mercury fulminate. Concentrations of total sedimentary mercury- HgTOT in samples collected from conventional (Kolberger Heide) and chemical (Bornholm Deep) munitions dumping sites are characterized by high variability. However, an increase in HgTOT concentrations was observed with a decreasing distance to particular munition objects at both study sites. Moreover, mercury speciation in sediments from Kolberger Heide proves that the mercury there can be traced back directly to mercury fulminate. Results of our study confirm that munitions dumpsites are a local point sources of mercury. Due to the ecosystem constrains, varying transport modes and pathways, and both unknown and varying decomposition rates, these sea-bed mercury concentrations are hard to evaluate quantitatively. Therefore we recommend that further detailed studies should be conducted to assess sedimentary mercury provenience in munitions dumpsites more accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Bełdowski
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland.
| | - Marta Szubska
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Siedlewicz
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Ewa Korejwo
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Miłosz Grabowski
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, ul. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Urszula Kwasigroch
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, ul. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Jacek Fabisiak
- Polish Naval Academy, ul. Śmidowicza 69, 81-103 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Edyta Łońska
- Polish Naval Academy, ul. Śmidowicza 69, 81-103 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Mateusz Szala
- Military University of Technology, ul. Urbanowicza 2, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Janusz Pempkowiak
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
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