Genotoxicity assessment of acute exposure of 2, 4-dinitroanisole, its metabolites and 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene to Daphnia carinata.

The insensitive munition ingredient, 2, 4-dinitroanisole has emerged as an alternative ingredient to 2, 4, 6-trinitro toluene in melt pourable high explosive formulations mainly due to its improved insensitiveness properties. As a result, production of 2, 4-dinitroanisole has increased and as a consequence 2, 4-dinitroanisole has emerged as a potential ingredient to enter the environment and possibly persist in water and soil ecosystems. The present study showed that 2, 4-dinitroanisole, its metabolites (2-amino 4-nitroanisole and 2,4-dinitroanisole) and 2, 4, 6-trinitro toluene were found to induce DNA damages in a freshwater crustacean Daphnia carinata exposed for 48 h and which was investigated by the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) method.

Sustainable remediation--the application of bioremediated soil for use in the degradation of TNT chips.

Environmental contamination by TNT (2,4,6 trinitrotoluene), historically used in civilian industries and the military as an explosive is of great concern due to its toxicity. Scientific studies have however shown that TNT is susceptible to microbial transformation. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of a previously bioremediated hydrocarbon contaminated soil (PBR) to increase TNT degradation rates.