No abstract

Energetic materials are employed in a wide range of commercial and military activities and often are released into the environment. Scientifically based ecological soil-screening levels (Eco-SSLs) are needed to identify contaminant explosive levels in soil that present an acceptable ecological risk. Insufficient information for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) to generate Eco-SSLs for soil invertebrates necessitated toxicity testing. We adapted the standardized Enchytraeid Reproduction Test and selected Enchytraeus crypticus for these studies. Tests were conducted in Sassafras sandy loam soil, which supports relatively high bioavailability of TNT. Weathering and aging procedures for TNT amended to test soil were incorporated into the study design to produce toxicity data that better reflect the soil exposure conditions in the field compared with toxicity in freshly amended soils. This included exposing hydrated TNT-amended soils in open glass containers in the greenhouse to alternating wetting and drying cycles. Definitive tests showed that toxicity for E. crypticus adult survival and juvenile production was increased significantly in weathered and aged soil treatments compared with toxicity in freshly amended soil based on 95% confidence intervals. The median effect concentration and 20% effective concentration for reproduction were 98 and 77 mg/kg, respectively, for TNT freshly amended into soil and 48 and 37 mg/kg, respectively, for weathered and aged TNT soil treatments. These findings of increased toxicity to E. crypticus in weathered and aged TNT soil treatments compared with exposures in freshly amended soils show that future investigations should include a weathering and aging component to generate toxicity data that provide more complete information on ecotoxicological effects of energetic contaminants in soil.

No abstract

Scientifically based ecological soil-screening levels are needed to identify concentrations of contaminant energetic materials (EMs) in soil that present an acceptable ecological risk at a wide range of military installations. Insufficient information regarding the toxicity of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) to soil invertebrates necessitated toxicity testing. We adapted the standardized Enchytraeid Reproduction Test (International Standardization Organization 16387:2003) and selected Enchytraeus crypticus for these studies. Tests were conducted in Sassafras sandy loam soil, which supports relatively high bioavailability of nitroaromatic EMs. Weathering and aging procedures for EMs amended to test soil were incorporated into the study design to produce toxicity data that better reflect the soil exposure conditions in the field compared with toxicity in freshly amended soils. This included exposing hydrated, EM-amended soils in open glass containers in the greenhouse to alternating wetting and drying cycles. Definitive tests established that the order of EM toxicity to E. crypticus based on the median effect concentration values for juvenile production in either freshly amended or weathered and aged treatments was (from the greatest to least toxicity) TNB > 2,4-DNT > 2,6-DNT. Toxicity to E. crypticus juvenile production was significantly increased in 2,6-DNT weathered and aged soil treatments compared with toxicity in freshly amended soil, based on 95% confidence intervals. This result shows that future investigations should include a weathering and aging component to generate toxicity data that provide more complete information regarding ecotoxicological effects of energetic contaminants in soil.

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