Toxicity testing of trinitrotoluene-contaminated soil composts

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis

OSTI ID:530841

Honeycutt, M E ^[1]; McFarland, V A; Jarvis, A S ^[2]

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1. TNRCC TARA, Austin, TX (United States)
2. USAEWES, Vicksburg, MS (United States)

The Mutatox{trademark} assay and earthworm acute toxicity test were employed to evaluate the efficacy of composting in reducing the toxicity of TNT-contaminated soils. The Mutatox assay is a proprietary bacterial bioluminescence test that determines the mutagenic potential of sample extracts. The earthworm acute toxicity test was chosen because it exposes the organisms to the unaltered contaminant/solid matrix. Rockeye soil, a TNT-contaminated soil collected from a military installation, was composted using two methods. This yielded five samples, Rockeye, Compost A composting. Soil extracts were prepared for Mutatox using the sonification method. Ten serial dilution samples were tested soils/artificial soil were tested in the earthworm toxicity test. In the Rockeye soil samples, a toxic response was shown in both test methods. Mutatox indicated no toxicity in Composts A and B after composting but did not show a positive mutagenic response in the lower serial dilutions. The LC50s for Compost A and B after composting in the earthworm toxicity test were 35.3% and 100%, respectively. Using Mutatox and the earthworm toxicity test together provides a sensitive means of monitoring the effectiveness of various composting techniques for remediating TNT-contaminated soils.

• OSTI ID: 530841
• Report Number(s): CONF-9704100--
• Journal Information: Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, Journal Name: Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis Journal Issue: Suppl.28 Vol. 29; ISSN 0893-6692; ISSN EMMUEG
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
COMPOST
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVALUATION
TNT
TOXICITY