@inproceedings { , title = {Chemical detection of explosives in soil for locating buried landmines.}, abstract = {Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a highly explosive nitroaromatic compound that is used for military and terrorist activities such as the development of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), landmines and is the main charge or explosive in most of the anti-personal and anti-vehicle mines. Different chemicals/ contaminants associated with TNT in soils near buried land mines comprise the microbial transformation products of TNT (2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene [2-Am-DNT] and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene [4-Am-DNT]), manufacturing impurities of TNT (2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT, and 1,3-DNB), and TNT. Time, cost, and casualties associated with demining have necessitated the demand for improved detection techniques with reduced false positives by directly detecting the explosive material, rather than casing material of mines. Different analytical methods used to detect trace level of explosives in soil include ion mobility mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) that require samples to be collected from hazardous sites to laboratories. This is extremely unsafe, time consuming, involve large and expensive instrumentation cost and specially trained staff. Thus, detecting chemical signatures of these nitroaromatics in soil infected with these chemicals due to leaked TNT mines can provide location of landmines/ landmine prone zones to aide humanitarian demining process. This paper illustrates soil analysis for explosives and selected contaminants by Raman spectroscopy as a chemical, nondestructive, remote sensing method. As with advancement of Raman-based standoff detection techniques, field-portable instruments and UAV deployable probes, this technique can be effectively employed in detecting buried landmines based on specific chemical signatures of target analyte. In this present study, TNT-based nitroaromatic was assessed in contaminated soil samples using Raman spectroscopy, where uncontaminated soil was used as background and matrix for spiking target contaminants at different concentrations.}, conference = {5th Counterterrorism, crime fighting, forensics, and surveillance technologies conference, part of the 2021 SPIE Security + defence conference}, doi = {10.1117/12.2601741}, isbn = {9781510645820}, note = {INFO COMPLETE (Info via Scopus alert 19/11/2021 LM) PERMISSION GRANTED (version = VoR/AAM; embargo = none; licence = publisher's own ; SHERPA = https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/27454 ) DOCUMENT READY (chased 9/12/2021 LM; VOR/AAM requested from contacts 22/11/2021 LM) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Contact: Radhakrishna Prabhu, Shruti Karnik Set statement - (© 2021 Society of Photo‑Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this publication for a fee or for commercial purposes, and modification of the contents of the publication are prohibited.)}, publicationstatus = {Published}, publisher = {Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers}, url = {https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1534257}, keyword = {Landmines, Nitroaromatic explosives, Raman spectroscopy, Remote sensing, TNT}, year = {2021}, author = {Karnik, Shruti and Prabhu, Radhakrishna} editor = {Bouma, H. and Stokes, R. J. and Yitzhaky, Y. and Prabhu, R.} }