This document specifies the measurement of explosives and related nitrocompounds (as given in
Table 1) in soil and soil materials. This document is intended for the trace analysis of explosives and
related compounds by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Generally, LC
MS/MS measurement shows the lower LOQ (limit of quantification) for each compound in Table 1 than
using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-detection (see Annex B and Annex C).
Under the conditions specified in this document, concentrations as low as 0,005 mg/kg to 0,014 mg/kg
dry matter can be determined, depending on the substance. Similar compounds, in particular various
nitroaromatics, by-products and degradation products of explosive compounds can be analysed using
this method provided that the applicability is checked on a case-by-case basis.