Biological reduction of TNT as part of a combined biological-chemical procedure for mineralization.

The explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), one of the most abundant and persistent contaminants at former armament factories and military sites, was cometabolically reduced by sludge (mixed culture) from a sewage plant in order to facilitate mineralization in a subsequent photochemical treatment. Under aerobic conditions, the main reduction products were aminodinitrotoluenes (ADNTs). A greater amount of the nitroaromatics (ca.