Fast-response optoelectronic detection of explosives’ residues from the nitroaromatic compounds detonation: field studies approach

Abstract

We are presenting an application of optoelectronic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) analyzer based on cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy in the detection of traces of explosives after detonation. It has been shown that the analyzer using blue-violet laser is able to detect explosive residues after the detonation of various amounts of nitroaromatic compounds (75 g–1 kg) with higher efficiency than the HPLC soil sample testing equipment, which is the common standard in the analysis of explosives. Field studies have shown that it provided quick results, the amplitudes of which were about 8 dB despite the fact that NO2 in the air was 3 orders of magnitude smaller than explosives found in soil. The NO2 concentration after an explosion of different explosives at the distance of up to 20 m from the crater was 21-137 ppb, which was also dependent on the time between the explosion and the measurement, temperature and humidity of the atmospheric air and wind speed.