NSWC/WOL/TR 75-3 5 



products will escape to the atmosphere unless an explosion is 

 exceptionally deep, but some are soluble in the water. Only the 

 soluble gases will be considered in this report, since they present 

 a more significant impact to the marine environment. 



2.1.2 Suspended Solids 



The insoluble solids or particulates are formed during the 

 explosion either by the oxidation of the inorganic components in 

 the explosive mixture or by the reduction of the organic components. 

 The resulting oxides and carbon exist either as fine particulates or 

 colloid, which may remain suspended in the water for an indefinite 

 period of time. 



The unconsumed explosives, which are generally insoluble in 

 water, also can disperse in the water as suspended solids. In addi- 

 tion, after the explosion some of the finer bottom particles will be 

 carried upward with the bubbles. It also seems likely that a 

 turbidity cloud of disturbed bottom material will remain in the 

 vicinity of the burst for some period of time. This material would 

 be mixed with the carbon or other particulate explosion products in 

 the surface pool. 



2.1.3 Sediment 



The solid explosion products together with the bottom particles 

 will begin to settle after the explosion and finally deposit on the 

 bottom in the vicinity of the explosion area. In the case of a deep 

 explosion on a rigid bottom, the bubble tends to pulsate at the 

 bottom before it floats upward. It seems likely that a portion of 

 the solid products will remain in the crater created by the explosion. 

 Most of the particulates will also eventually settle to the bottom. 

 Therefore, an accumulation of the solid explosion products in the 

 sediment near the explosion area is likely. 



2.1.4 Dissolved Constituents 



The soluble explosion products will dissolve in the water 

 immediately after the explosion. Solutions are usually defined in 

 water chemistry as any chemical species which pass through a 0.45y 

 membrane filter. Therefore, the dissolved constituents can be 

 easily separated from the suspended solids by the filtration of the 

 mixture through a 0.45y membrane filter. The soluble species exist 

 as ionic or complex forms in the solution. Some of them will undergo 

 hydrolysis to form colloids. 



