A portable device for fast analysis of explosives in the environment

• Portable device for analysis in terrain with internal power supply.
• Microcolumn liquid chromatograph.
• Photolytic converter of explosives to peroxynitrite by absorption of UV radiation.
• Miniaturized chemiluminescent detector.
• Analysis time in less than 8 min without preconcentration.

A novel portable device for fast and sensitive analysis of explosives in environmental samples is presented. The developed system consists of miniaturized microcolumn liquid chromatograph, photolytic converter and chemiluminescence detector. The device is able to determine selectively nitramine- and nitroester- and most of nitroaromates-based explosives as well as inorganic nitrates at trace concentrations in water or soil extracts in less than 8 min. The device allows to analyze various environmental samples such as soils or water materials without previous preconcentration. Because of internal power supply, the device ensures 12 h of continuous operation. Limits of detection of compounds of interest are in the range of concentrations from 5.0 × 10−9 M to 8.0 × 10−5 M for a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Limits of quantification are in the range of concentrations from 1.7 × 10−8 M to 2.7 × 10−4 M for a signal-to-noise ratio of 10. The repeatability of the method (RSD = 2.9–5.6%) was determined by repeated injections (n = 10) of the standard samples during 4 h.