Fate of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in a simulated compost system

Composting of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) contaminated soils is a potentially economical remediation alternative. To determine whether environmentally undesirable emissions or residuals are produced, an explosives contaminated soil was amended with radiolabelled TNT before composting in a small-scale compost simulation system. Mass balance results indicated that TNT was not mineralized to volatile organic compounds and almost no radiolabelled CO2 was produced. Only transformation to the solvent extractable products, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, and conjugation to cellulosic, humin, humic acid and fulvic acid occurred. More than half of the added radioactivity was recovered in the cellulose plus humin fractions.