MoD conducted trials of advanced post-demining environmental monitoring tools
The Ministry of Defence conducted trials of advanced post-demining environmental monitoring tools. The trials were conducted at the testing grounds of the Ukrainian Training and Testing Complex (UTTC), where the operation of modern demining equipment had been recently demonstrated.
Specialists from the Joint Centre of Excellence for Mine Action, Civil Protection, and Environmental Security carried out the inspection using the MX908 mass spectrometer and the Raman Serstech Arx Raman spectrometer.
After analyzing the soil's chemical composition, military environmental specialists found no traces of explosives. This validated the effectiveness of mechanized demining machines and confirmed that they do not have an adverse impact on the natural environment.
In contrast, at a site used for controlled detonation demonstrations, post-explosion traces of TNT (trinitrotoluene) were detected during analysis, even under controlled conditions.
“Such research not only confirms the absence of explosive hazards but also ensures the environmental safety of the soil. This is important for the clearance of agricultural land, as it impacts the safe cultivation of crops,” said Colonel Yurii Sytnyk, Head of the Environmental Safety Department at the Main Directorate of Mine Action, Civil Protection, and Environmental Safety.
This approach may, going forward, underpin the development of national standards for demining quality assurance, especially in agricultural areas affected by combat operations.
Reference information:
The MX908 is a multi-mission portable mass spectrometer for real-time detection and identification of chemicals. Military ecologists will use it for detecting both chemical and explosive substances.
The Raman Serstech Arx analyzer is capable of identifying over 2,200 chemical substances in real time. Its database includes a range of the following explosive substances: military, industrial, and improvised explosives; precursors and oxidizers; toxic and hazardous materials; chemical warfare agents, including blister, nerve, choking, and hemotoxic agents.