Characterization of insoluble fractions of TNT transformed by composting

Abstract

Abstract Soil contaminated with explosives was supplemented with carbon‐14 labelled 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (14C‐TNT) and was composted in a field static pile composting experiment. After 90 d of composting, the distribution of carbon‐14 (14C) activity in fractions from acetonitrile extraction ("free”; fraction, 1.2% of the initial 14C‐activity) and filtration ("insoluble ‐ particle”; fraction, 17.9%), alkaline hydrolysis ("insoluble ‐ hydrolyzable”; fraction, 56.8%), and combustion of the residue ("insoluble ‐nonhydrolyzable”; fraction, 4.7%) showed that the bulk of the l4C‐activity, and presumably transformed product(s) of the 14C‐TNT, accumulated in a nonextractable, but hydrolyzable fraction. Repetitive aqueous leaching of the compost and also ultraviolet light irradiation followed by leaching suggest that the insoluble fraction of transformed TNT should not be released appreciably by the action of acid rain or sunlight. Key words: Explosives‐Contaminated SoilCompostingInsoluble FractionsTNT Notes Now with Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT.