Natural Remediation of TNT‐Contaminated Water and Soil

Abstract

AbstractContamination of soil and water with explosives, especially TNT, is a widespread problem on military sites, explosives producing plants and ammunition factories. Because the contaminated areas are often very large, off‐site soil treatment technologies are prohibitively costly. Groundwater decontamination has to deal with large quantities of water, so pump‐and‐treat remediation has to be operated for decades. Since there is a need for cost‐effective new technologies for cleaning up soil and groundwater, biological technologies for the remediation of TNT in both media have been developed and tested. In this article, an overview of the results of container experiments and a pilot scale in‐situ remediation of TNT‐contaminated soil, as well as the results of 1 m3 constructed wetlands for the cleaning of TNT contaminated water is presented. The biological removal of TNT was observed with autochthonous microorganisms; their degradation efficiencies differed depending on the carbon source added. Molasses was found to be a superior carbon source for the TNT cometabolism, compared to wood chips. In constructed wetlands with a hydraulic retention time of 24 h, a reduction in TNT levels of more than 99% was shown.