Environmental Interactions of Hydrazine Fuels in Soil/Water Systems

Abstract : Because the Air Force is the primary user of the rocket fuels, hydrazine (Hz), monomethylhydrazine (MMH), and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), it is responsible for the environmental implications associated with the transport, storage, and handling of these fuels. During handling, hydrazine fuels could inadvertently be released to the atmosphere and the surrounding aqueous and terrestrial environments. The studies are divided into the following five areas: aqueous and soil suspension studies, surface interaction studies, biological interaction studies, soil column studies, and soil transport modeling. The objective of this work is to determine the fate of hydrazine fuel released into an aqueous or soil environment. Aqueous degradation studies reveal that the extent of hydrazine degradation and the products formed are highly dependent upon several variables. Among these include the type of container used in the studies, the presence of certain metal ions, the ionic strength, the presence and type of pH buffer, the temperature, the presence of bacteria, and the amount of dissolved oxygen. Aqueous hydrazine degradation is particularly rapid in quartz vessels with copper ions and oxygen present. Degradation also increases with increasing ionic strength, pH buffer concentration, temperature, and bacteria content. Keywords: Environmental impact, Water pollution, Soil pollution, Biodeterioration.