Ecotoxicity of Nitroaromatics to Aquatic and Terrestrial Species at Army Superfund Sites

Abstract

Nitroaromatic compounds, including 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, RDX, HMX, tetryl, and associated degradation products, are released into the environment during the manufacturing, loading, packing, and assembling of munitions at U.S. Army Ammunition Plants. With the exception of 2A46DNT, nitroaromatic compounds are more toxic to fresh-water fishes (LC50s ranging from 0.4–32 mg/L) than to freshwater invertebrates (EC50s ranging from 3–100 mg/L). Rainbow trout are the most sensitive test species with LC50 values ranging from 0.43 to 6.4 mg/L for TNT, RDX, and HMX. These compounds produce negative effects on reproductive endpoints in terrestrial mammals at doses >1 mg/kg/day. Limited data indicate that nitroaromatics are not toxic to terrestrial plants (LOECs ranging from 25–100 νg/g in soil) and soil invertebrates (LOEC of 200 νg/g). Additional studies need to be undertaken to completely characterize the toxicity of these compounds; however, the criteria and screening benchmarks presented in this paper can be used to assess the risks to indigenous flora and fauna at Army Superfund sites.

Munition constituents: Preliminary sediment screening criteria for the protection of marine benthic invertebrates

“…SQB OC s have previously been developed for a limited number of MC by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Hovatter et al, 1997;Talmage et al, 1999), using the EqP model of Di Toro as used herein. The values in Talmage et al (1999) are updated from Hovatter et al (1997), and the SQB OC s are similar.…”

“…The values in Talmage et al (1999) are updated from Hovatter et al (1997), and the SQB OC s are similar. Many of the FCVs and SCVs reported in Talmage et al (1999) are used in the present study as toxicity values for the SQB derivation.…”

Enzymes for Degradation of Energetic Materials and Demilitarization of Explosives Stockpiles - SERDP Annual (Interim) Report, 12/98

“…The massive stockpiles of explosives and their contamination in water, soil and sediment around the world pose a serious threat to humankind, health and ecology Jarvis et al 1998;Hovatter et al 1997). Currently, acceptable technologies or resources used to demilitarize aging stockpiles and cleanup contaminated sites does not exist.…”

Acute, subacute, and subchronic exposure to 2A-DNT (2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene) in the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)

“…The distribution of TNT at many U.S. military sites is substantial and sites of contamination include habitats in and around military storage facilities, manufacturing, load and packing plants, firing ranges, and open burning/detonation areas. At least 17 Army installations have reported soil concentrations ranging from 0.08 to 64,000 lg/g (Hovatter et al 1997). Of those that had detectable concentrations, five installations had samples in which surface soils exceeded 10,000 lg TNT/g soil dry weight (Walsh and Jenkins 1992).…”

“…Bumpus and Tatarko (1994) suggested that degradation of the aminodinitrotoluene isomers may be the rate limiting step in the biodegradation of TNT. Hovatter et al (1997) included 2A-DNT in their survey of the nitroaromatic compounds released from U.S. Army Superfund sites, and Talmage et al (1999) discussed the widespread occurrence of 2A-DNT at military sites. The compound was detected in the soil at Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, Illinois, in concentrations up to 19 mg/kg and up to 37 mg/kg at Raritan Arsenal, New Jersey.…”