Degradation of trinitrotoluene in contaminated soils as affected by its initial concentrations and its binding to soil organic matter fractions

Singh, Neera; Hennecke, Dieter; Hoerner, Jennifer; Koerdel, Werner; Schäffer, Andreas

doi:10.1080/10934520701795434

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…We propose that this is due to the high levels of TNT having an inhibitory effect on any TNT-transforming bacteria within the native soil, and that this time lapse is due to the bacteria adjusting to their heavily TNT-contaminated environment before they could begin to start transforming the TNT. Singh [ 7 ] has shown that high levels of TNT may have a toxic effect on bacteria in soils, and it is likely that this is the case in the native soil, accounting for the lower rate of observed microbial degradation. Other work [ 5 ] has also reported a prolonged TNT half-life due to high levels of TNT in soil and related bacterial inhibition processes.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explosive detonation causes an increase in soil porosity leading to increased TNT transformation

Daéid

Dawson

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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Explosives are a common soil contaminant at a range of sites, including explosives manufacturing plants and areas associated with landmine detonations. As many explosives are toxic and may cause adverse environmental effects, a large body of research has targeted the remediation of explosives residues in soil. Studies in this area have largely involved spiking ‘pristine’ soils using explosives solutions. Here we investigate the fate of explosives present in soils following an actual detonation process and compare this to the fate of explosives spiked into ‘pristine’ undetonated soils. We also assess the effects of the detonations on the physical properties of the soils. Our scanning electron microscopy analyses reveal that detonations result in newly-fractured planes within the soil aggregates, and novel micro Computed Tomography analyses of the soils reveal, for the first time, the effect of the detonations on the internal architecture of the soils. We demonstrate that detonations cause an increase in soil porosity, and this correlates to an increased rate of TNT transformation and loss within the detonated soils, compared to spiked pristine soils. We propose that this increased TNT transformation is due to an increased bioavailability of the TNT within the now more porous post-detonation soils, making the TNT more easily accessible by soil-borne bacteria for potential biodegradation. This new discovery potentially exposes novel remediation methods for explosive contaminated soils where actual detonation of the soil significantly promotes subsequent TNT degradation. This work also suggests previously unexplored ramifications associated with high energy soil disruption.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explosive detonation causes an increase in soil porosity leading to increased TNT transformation

Daéid

Dawson

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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“…As many explosives are toxic and can have adverse environmental effects, a large body of research has been directed towards the detection and remediation of such explosives residues in soil. Explosives bioremediation research to date can broadly be classified into two groups, the first being research involving historical field-samples of explosives-contaminated soil [2][3][4][6][7][8][9][10][11], and the second being research starting with blank, explosives-free soil, with explosives spiked into the soil to assess their degradation and transformation [5,.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The stability of TNT, RDX and PETN in simulated post-explosion soils: Implications of sample preparation for analysis

DeTata

Lewis

et al. 2017

Talanta

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Explosives residues in soils may be a useful source of evidence following the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED), such as a vehicle-borne IED. Soil samples collected from the vicinity of an explosion scene will often be stored for some time prior to analysis, yet explosives residues in soil samples are susceptible to rapid degradation or transformation. Although some research has assessed the use of different storage temperatures with a view to reducing explosives' degradation over time, further research examining the degradation of explosives in soil when stored under a variety of storage conditions is crucial to determine the optimal sample collection and storage procedures for soil containing explosives residues. In this work, three different soils were spiked with solutions of TNT, RDX and PETN and stored either at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen. Samples were extracted over 6 weeks, with additional samples gamma-irradiated or nitrogen purged prior to storage. Experimental results indicate that TNT underwent very rapid degradation at room temperature, attributed to microbial action, whereas PETN and RDX proved to be more stable. Gamma irradiation and nitrogen purging proved of some benefit for mitigating TNT degradation, with lower storage temperatures ultimately proving the most effective method of mitigating degradation.

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

Montgomery

Boyd

Smith

et al. 2011

ACS Symposium Series

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Degradation of trinitrotoluene in contaminated soils as affected by its initial concentrations and its binding to soil organic matter fractions

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Explosive detonation causes an increase in soil porosity leading to increased TNT transformation

Explosive detonation causes an increase in soil porosity leading to increased TNT transformation

The stability of TNT, RDX and PETN in simulated post-explosion soils: Implications of sample preparation for analysis

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

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