EXPEDIA · EXplosives PrEcursor Defeat by Inhibitor Additives

The objectives of the EXPEDIA project are both to inhibit some frequently used explosive precursors and to increase the knowledge about “garage chemistry”. With this we mean, increasing the understanding of how terrorist’s create homemade explosives (HME), what chemicals they start from and where they find them in the open market. But also, to increase the understanding of how easily a HME can be created, what basic equipment is necessary and what chemical knowledge is needed by the terrorist.The output from EXPEDIA will increase the security of the citizens in Europe both in the sense that chemical inhibition will reduce/ limit or at least make it much harder for terrorists to create HMEs from readily available chemicals. Understanding the terrorist perspective regarding HME production, will directly give input to both first responders and European legislators.As one of the output EXPEDIA will create A European guide for first responders with basic instructions on how to interpret findings on a crime scene when suspected bomb factories have been encountered.In order for European legislators to carry out right work in the fight against terrorism, access to accurate data and an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of HMEs and various formulations thereof is of crucial importance. EXPEDIA will feed its produced information about HMEs directly to these groups via appropriate channels.Finally, EXPEDIA will research for solutions to prevent the misuse of some explosive precursors that have not yet been investigated within the FP7 research programme. The inhibition of these precursors will be closely linked to feasibility and implementation cost studies as well as to toxicology studies. The solutions should be environmentally friendly and economically defendable in order to be able to be implemented into precursors that are produced in large quantities today.