Evaluation of soil toxicity at joliet army ammunition plant

Autor: Michael Simini, Carlton T. Phillips, Randall S. Wentsel, Ronald T. Checkai, Nancy A Chester, Michael A. Major
Rok vydání: 1995
Předmět:
Zdroj: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 14:623-630
ISSN: 1552-8618
0730-7268
DOI: 10.1002/etc.5620140410
Popis: Environmental toxicity testing and chemical analyses of soil were performed as part of an ecological risk assessment at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (JAAP), Johet, Illinois Soils were collected from an area where munitions were loaded, assembled, and packed (area L7, group 1), and from an area where waste explosives were burned on unprotected soil (area L2) Control samples were collected from an adjacent field Soil toxicity was determined using early seedling growth and vigor tests, earthworm survival and growth tests, and Microtox® assays Relative toxicity of soils was determined within each area based on statistical significance (p = 0 05) of plant and earthworm growth and survival, and the effective concentration at which luminescence of the bacterium Photobacterium phosphoreum was reduced by 50% (EC50) in the Microtox assay Samples were designated as having high, moderate, or no significant toxicity Soil that had significant toxicity according to at least one test, and representative samples showing no toxicity, were analyzed for munitions via HPLC Chemical residues found in soils were 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene (TNT), 1,3,5 trinitrobenzene (TNB), 2,4 dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2,6 dinitrotoluene, 2 amino-4,6-DNT, 4-ammo-2,6 DNT, 1,3,5 trinitro 1,3,5 triazine (RDX), and octahydro-1,3,5,7 tetramtro-l,3,5,7-tetrazocme (HMX) All soils with no significant toxicity were void of these chemicals However, some soils void of munitions still showed toxicity that may have been caused by elevated levels of heavy metals Linear regressions of toxicity test results vs chemical concentrations showed that TNT and TNB accounted for most of the soil toxicity Lowest observable-effect concentrations (LOEC) of TNT were de termined from these data This study presents a simple, relatively inexpensive methodology for assessing toxicity of soils containing TNT, RDX, and other contaminants related to munitions production
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: