Chemical characterization and analysis of TNT composts
- Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab., Hanover, NH (United States)
The US Army has considerable interest in restoring land previously contaminated with the explosive, TNT. One method of remediation that is economically attractive is composting. Previous work on TNT/soil composts indicates that TNT was initially converted to solvent-extractable reduction products. These compounds were subsequently bound in a non-solvent-extractable form. There was no evidence that mineralization occurred. Similar observations have been made with respect to TNT amended soils, activated sludge and tissues of plants grown hydroponically in TNT solutions. Last year the authors reported on a method that used acid hydrolysis after solvent extraction to release covalently-bound amino and diamino TNT-reduction products from a compost time-series. This year the authors have added a base hydrolysis step preceding the acid hydrolysis. About 25% of the original TNT can now be accounted for as covalently-bound reduction products in a 15-day compost. Furthermore, recovery experiments have revealed that the method is not yet very efficient with regard to recovery of spiked aminos and diaminos. Work is continuing on improving the method and/or developing a rigorous recovery correction factor so that a mass balance for TNT can be obtained.
- OSTI ID:
- 452096
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961149--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Hydrolytic release of bound residues from composted soil contaminated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene
Effects of TNT and its metabolites on anaerobic TNT degradation