An Evaluation of the Environmental Fate and behavior of Munitions Materiel (TNT, RDX) in Soil and Plant Systems. Environmental Fate and behavior of TNT

Abstract

The objective of these investigations was to elucidate the environmental behavior and fate of trinitrotoluene (TNT). Emphasis was placed on those chemical transformations occurring in soils and in plant tissues following uptake and on the probable impact of these chemical transformations on the food chain. Analytical methodology was developed to fractionate and characterize both TNT and TNT-derived residues in soil and plant matrices. The procedures developed in this program extend prior art, through the use of matrix-specific extraction and fractionation schemes followed by classical HPLC separations. Methods showed good recovery and reproducibility. Soil-sorbed TNT, or that fraction not readily removed by exhaustive extraction, increases from less than 6% at 0 time, to 50% after 60 days of incubation. Experiments with sterile soil systems indicate that the sorption process is nonbiotic in origin. Keywords: Munitions, Bioavailability, Plant uptake, Environmental fate, RA 3, TNT, RDX, Soil, Plant systems, Toxicology, AMDNT, Aminodinitrotoluene.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA223546

Entities

People

  • Bruce D. Mcveety
  • Dominic A. Cataldo
  • Robert J. Fellows
  • Roger M. Beam
  • Scott D. Harvey

Organizations

  • Battelle Memorial Institute

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biomedical Research
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Detection
  • Environment
  • Explosives
  • Food Chains
  • Liquid Chromatography
  • Mass Spectra
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Materials
  • Materials Science
  • Methanols
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Plants
  • Spectrometry

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Agricultural Chemistry/Soil Science
  • Systems Analysis and Design