Miljømessige vurderinger av blyfri ammunisjon - utvaskingsforsøk med forurenset jord

Abstract

The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment has carried out an environmental assessment study of new ammunition not containing lead. This ammunition contains a steel core instead of lead. An important approach was to evaluate the change in leakage of soluble heavy metals in old impact berms with use of the new ammunition. Tests were done in the laboratory. Leakage from polluted soil columns from old impact berms were compared with the leakage of the same columns only added powder from ammunition not containing lead. The results showed that the concentration of soluble lead- and antimony species were reduced in the columns added ammunition with a steel core. Conclusions This study indicates that it is an environmental advantage to use the new ammunition not containing lead, at old and new shooting ranges. One of the reasons is that corrosion products of steel have a potential to reduce soluble species of lead and antimony in the soil pore water. The infiltration of rainwater has the potential to flush the pore water, which can become saturated with dissolved metals and carry this contamination to the groundwater. Another advantage to start using the new ammunition is that the use of heavy metals would decrease by 70%.