Team:Edinburgh/projectmain/landmines
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- | Anti-personnel mines are the most numerous and are commonly planted in various patterns in open fields. The most widespread of these, the M16 (below), is mostly plastic which makes the detection of this mine even more difficult. The M16 contains 1.15 pounds of TNT (contained in primer mixture, shown below) and is activated by 11 pounds of pressure. Upon activation, the mine is propelled above ground and explodes in mid-air, releasing large amounts of shrapnel. After a certain time in the ground, landmines begin to leak various chemicals into the soil, some of which include 1,3-DNB, 2,4-DNT, and 2,4,6-TNT, nitrate and nitrite. | + | Anti-personnel mines are the most numerous and are commonly planted in various patterns in open fields. The most widespread of these, the M16 (below), is mostly plastic which makes the detection of this mine even more difficult. The M16 contains 1.15 pounds of TNT (contained in primer mixture, shown below) and is activated by 11 pounds of pressure. Upon activation, the mine is propelled above ground and explodes in mid-air, releasing large amounts of shrapnel. After a certain time in the ground, landmines begin to leak various chemicals into the soil, some of which include 1,3-DNB, 2,4-DNT, and 2,4,6-TNT, nitrate and nitrite.<br /><br /> |
<center><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2009/e/eb/EdinburghM16mine.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2009/f/fa/EdinburghMinecomponents.jpg"></center><br /> | <center><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2009/e/eb/EdinburghM16mine.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2009/f/fa/EdinburghMinecomponents.jpg"></center><br /> |
Revision as of 13:50, 19 October 2009
Personal note
Landmine
A landmine is an explosive device planted in the ground and activated by pressure, magnetic fields and tripwires, among many others. They are one of the most commons weapons used in modern warfare and are most often used as tactical barriers and enemy deterrents.
Controversy
Landmines are very controversial as after the conflict is over, they remain in the ground as unexploded ordnance—that is, they remain active for many years and the maps of their location are often lost and forgotten. For this reason abandoned minefields around the globe pose a constant danger to civilians.
Landmine Casualties
Anti-personnel mines maim and kill 15000 to 20000 people every year, 80% of which are civilians, and a further 1/3 of which are children. Since the 1970’s, 1 million people have been killed or maimed by landmines, most of the casualties reported have been in Cambodia, Iraq, Burundi, Afghanistan and Laos.
Active Landmine Map
The map of active minefields in the world is shown below. The UN has estimated that 100 million landmines are planted in the world right now, and almost twice that is in stockpiles. Angola and Cambodia are among the countries with the highest active landmine count.
It is clear that the distribution and amount of active minefields in the world are extremely high. The UN has set a landmine detection goal of 99.6%, a goal which no current mine detection methods can fulfil.
Features and Components of Landmines
Anti-personnel mines are the most numerous and are commonly planted in various patterns in open fields. The most widespread of these, the M16 (below), is mostly plastic which makes the detection of this mine even more difficult. The M16 contains 1.15 pounds of TNT (contained in primer mixture, shown below) and is activated by 11 pounds of pressure. Upon activation, the mine is propelled above ground and explodes in mid-air, releasing large amounts of shrapnel. After a certain time in the ground, landmines begin to leak various chemicals into the soil, some of which include 1,3-DNB, 2,4-DNT, and 2,4,6-TNT, nitrate and nitrite.
Edinburgh University iGem Team 2009