Evaluation of the Metabolic Fate of Munitions Material (TNT & RDX) in Plant Systems and Initial Assessment of Material Interaction with Plant Genetic Material.
Abstract
The goals of this effort were to confirm and expand data related to the behavior and impacts of munitions residues upon human food chain components. Plant species employed included corn (Zea mays), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), spinach (Spinacea o!eraceae), and carrot (Daucus carota). Plants were grown from seed to maturity (70 to 120 days) in a low-fertility soil (Burbank) amended with either 14C-TNT or 14 C-RDX at which time they were harvested and analyzed for munitions uptake, partitioning, and chemical form of the munition or munition-metabolite. All four of the plant species used in this study accumulated the 14C-TNT- and RDX-derived label. The carrot, alfalfa, and corn demonstrated a higher percentage of label retained in the roots (62, 73, and 83% respectively). The spinach contained less activity in its root (36%) but also contained the highest TNT specific activity observed (>4600 ug TNT- equivalents/g dry wt. respectively.) The specific uptake values of RDX for the spinach and alfalfa were comparable to those previously reported for wheat and bean (314 to 5g0 ug RDX-equivalents/g dry wt. respectively). An exception to this may be the carrot where the specific activity was found to exceed 4200 ug RDX-equivalentslg dry wt. in the shoot. The total accumulation of TNT by the plants ranged from 1.24% for the spinach to 2.34% for the carrot. The RDX plants ranging from 15% for the spinach to 37% for the carrot. There was no identifiable TNT or aminodinitrotoluene (ADNT) isomers present in th plants however, the parent RDX compound was found at significant levels in the shoot of alfalfa (>180 ug/g) and corn (>18 ug/g).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA300424
Entities
People
- Dominic A. Cataldo
- R. J. Fellows
- S. D. Harvey
Organizations
- United States Department of Energy