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Environmental Fate and Decay Pathways of Military Explosives in Soil

Explore the degradation pathways and transport characteristics of chemicals of concern (COCs) like RDX, HMX, TNT, and Nitroglycerin in soil, detailing their average concentrations, detection rates, and cleanup goals.

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Environmental Fate and Decay Pathways of Military Explosives in Soil

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  1. Environmental Decay Pathways of the Chemicals of Concern (COCs)

  2. Soil Concentrations of Contaminants Contaminant AverageConcentration of Detections (g/kg) No. Detects/No. Total Samples Maximum Concentration (g/kg) Clean-up Goal(g/kg) RDX 4,000 37/123 40,000 120 HMX 1,000 30/123 8,000 250 TNT 170 1/123 170 250 2,4-DNT 79 1/8 79 700 2A-DNT 207 12/123 550 1,240 4A-DNT 180 4/123 260 330 Nitroglycerin (NG) 3,200 1/123 3,200 2,500

  3. Characteristics of COCs • RDX-Royal Demolition Explosive (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane) • Military explosive • Toxic to humans & mammals-carcinogen • HMX-High Melting Explosive (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazacyclooctane) • Impurity resulting from RDX production • Associated systemic poisoning (marrow & liver)

  4. Fate and Transport: • Biological Decay • Aerobic/Anaerobic • Abiotic Decay • UV • Adsorption • Reversible/Irreversible • Transport • How do pH/Temperature affect solubility

  5. Degradation of RDX • Mineralized by White Rot Fungus • Uses RDX as main source of nitrogen • Produces CO2 and N20 • Subcritical Water • RDX starts degrading with 100oC H20 • >99.9% destruction with 275oC H20 • Anaerobic Co-metabolism • Converted to Acetate

  6. Degradation of HMX • UV Radiation Oxidizes HMX • H2O2 as catalyst • Sunlight breaks down HMX in H20 • Subcritical Water • HMX starts degrading with 125oC H20 • >98% destruction with 275oC H20 • Anaerobic Degradation via Reduction • Converted to methanol and chloroform

  7. Transport • RDX solubility- 60mg/L • Low affinity for soil particles • However, sorption is nearly irreversible • HMX- nearly insoluble in H2O • Likely to move into groundwater

  8. Nitroglycerin

  9. Nitroglycerin • Metabolization • P. chrysosporium • Produces di and mono nitrates • G. candidum • Produce glycerol • Transgenic Plants • Metabolize more slowly than microbes

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