2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Mineralization and Incorporation by Natural Bacterial Assemblages in Coastal Ecosystems

Montgomery, Michael T.; Boyd, Thomas J.; Smith, Joseph P.; Walker, Shelby E.; Osburn, Christopher L.

doi:10.1021/bk-2011-1069.ch009

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…However, much of this work used monocultures from terrestrial and groundwater environments where microbial growth is often phosphorus limited. Bacterial assemblage growth in coastal environments is typically nitrogen limited and thus it is likely that an organic nitrogen source, such as TNT, would be scavenged (Montgomery et al, 2011a;Pomeroy, 1970).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporation and mineralization of TNT and other anthropogenic organics by natural microbial assemblages from a small, tropical estuary

Montgomery

Coffin

Boyd

et al. 2013

Environmental Pollution

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2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) metabolism was compared across salinity transects in Kahana Bay, a small tropical estuary on Oahu, HI. In surface water, TNT incorporation rates (range: 3-121 μg C L(-1) d(-1)) were often 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than mineralization rates suggesting that it may serve as organic nitrogen for coastal microbial assemblages. These rates were often an order of magnitude more rapid than those for RDX and two orders more than HMX. During average or high stream flow, TNT incorporation was most rapid at the riverine end member and generally decreased with increasing salinity. This pattern was not seen during low flow periods. Although TNT metabolism was not correlated with heterotrophic growth rate, it may be related to metabolism of other aromatic compounds. With most TNT ring-carbon incorporation efficiencies at greater than 97%, production of new biomass appears to be a more significant product of microbial TNT metabolism than mineralization.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporation and mineralization of TNT and other anthropogenic organics by natural microbial assemblages from a small, tropical estuary

Montgomery

Coffin

Boyd

et al. 2013

Environmental Pollution

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“…Though the water columns sampled in this study were aerobic when measured at the macroscale, this does not obviate the possibility that suspended aggregates with hypoxic or anoxic microenvironments impacted measured mineralization rates in the estuary. Especially in shallow estuaries, such as those in this study, biodegradation of organic nitrogen sources is most likely a balance between assimilatory and dissimilatory nitrogen utilization (e.g., ref also see discussion in Montgomery et al).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…More recently, using 13 C- and 15 N-labeled TNT, Gallagher et al demonstrated that both the nitrogen in the side groups and carbon in the aromatic ring are incorporated into nucleic acids of natural bacterial assemblages in estuarine sediment. In addition, relatively rapid mineralization rates of 14 C-labeled energetics to 14 CO 2 have been reported for natural microbial assemblages in water and sediment for numerous coastal ecosystems. − This may explain why energetic compounds are rarely detected in coastal water and sediment, even in those areas that are heavily impacted by unexploded and breached ordnance. , …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Capacity for Microbial Biodegradation of Munitions Compounds and Phenanthrene in Three Coastal Waterways in North Carolina, United States

Montgomery

Boyd

Hall³

et al. 2020

ACS Omega

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Munitions compounds (i.e., 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), octahy-dro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocin (HMX), and hexadydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazin (RDX), also called energetics) were originally believed to be recalcitrant to microbial biodegradation based on historical groundwater chemical attenuation data and laboratory culture work. More recently, it has been established that natural bacterial assemblages in coastal waters and sediment can rapidly metabolize these organic nitrogen sources and even incorporate their carbon and nitrogen into bacterial biomass. Here, we report on the capacity of natural microbial assemblages in three coastal North Carolina (United States) estuaries to metabolize energetics and phenanthrene (PHE), a proxy for terrestrial aromatic compounds. Microbial assemblages generally had the highest ecosystem capacity (mass of the compound mineralized per average estuarine residence time) for HMX (21–5463 kg) > RDX (1.4–5821 kg) ≫ PHE (0.29–660 kg) > TNT (0.25–451 kg). Increasing antecedent precipitation tended to decrease the ecosystem capacity to mineralize TNT in the Newport River Estuary, and PHE and TNT mineralization were often highest with increasing salinity. There was some evidence from the New River Estuary that increased N-demand (due to a phytoplankton bloom) is associated with increased energetic mineralization rates. Using this type of analysis to determine the ecosystem capacity to metabolize energetics can explain why these compounds are rarely detected in seawater and marine sediment, despite the known presence of unexploded ordnance or recent use in military training exercises. Overall, measuring the ecosystem capacity may help predict the effects of climate change (warming and altered precipitation patterns) and other perturbations on exotic compound fate and transport within ecosystems and provide critical information for managers and decision-makers to develop management strategies based on these changes.

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Munitions in the Sea

Carniel

Bełdowski

2019

Energetic Materials and Munitions

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2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Mineralization and Incorporation by Natural Bacterial Assemblages in Coastal Ecosystems

Cited by 3 publications

References 58 publications

Incorporation and mineralization of TNT and other anthropogenic organics by natural microbial assemblages from a small, tropical estuary

Incorporation and mineralization of TNT and other anthropogenic organics by natural microbial assemblages from a small, tropical estuary

Ecosystem Capacity for Microbial Biodegradation of Munitions Compounds and Phenanthrene in Three Coastal Waterways in North Carolina, United States

Munitions in the Sea

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