• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.62-63
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• 1999

Reduction 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene by zero valent iron was studied in a batch reactor under anoxic conditions. Results showed that the removal of TNT was a pseudo-first order and the rate was dependent on the available metal surface area. Final product, presumably triaminotoluene, accumulated in the solution as well as on the metal surface. However, little amounts of aminodinitrotoluenes were detected. Therefore, it is postulated that the reduction of nitro group occurs simultaneously in all three position.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2002

The cellular responses of TNT-degrading bacterium, Stenotrophomonas sp. OK-5 to explosive 2,4,6-trini-trotoluene (TNT) as an environmental contaminant were examined. Survival of the strain OK-5 with time in the presence of different concentrations of TNT under sublethal conditions was monitored, and viable counts paralleled the production of the stress shock proteins in this bacterium. Total cellular fatty acids analysis showed that strain OK-5 produced or disappeared several different kinds of lipids when grown on TNT media than when grown on TSA. Under scanning electron microscope, the cells treated with 0.5 mM TNT for 12 hrs showed irregular rod shapes with wrinkled surfaces. Analyses of SDS-PAGE and Western blot using anti-DnaK and anti-GroEL revealed that several stress shock proteins including 70 kDa DnaK and 60 kDa GroEL in strain OK-5 were newly synthesized at different TNT concentrations in exponentially growing cultures. 2-D PAGE of soluble protein fractions from the culture of OK-5 exposed to TNT demonstrated that approximately 300 spots were observed on the silver stained gel ranging from pH 3 to pH 10. Among them, 10 spots significantly induced and expressed in response to TNT were selected and analyzed. As the result of internal amino acid sequencing with ESI-Q TOF, two proteins, spot #1 and spot #10 were assigned the DnaK protein XF2340 of Xylella fastidiosa and stress-induced protein of Mesorhizobium loti, respectively.

• Mycobiology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 2009

White-rot fungus Irpex lacteus degraded TNT significantly in proportion to the culture time. After 48 h incubation, about 95% of TNT was degraded. Two reduced metabolites were identified as 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-ADNT) and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT) which was further degraded.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.303-311
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• 2000

This study was conducted to find an optimal TNT transformation condition with the addition of different carbon and energy sources in a batch reactor. When TNT and nitrate were present in the medium, the cell growth and TNT transformation was slower because nitrate and TNT was competitively served as electron acceptor. Transformation of TNT was faster when TNT in the medium was nitrogen source and acetate as a carbon source. Cell growth and nitrate transformation was slower when yeast extract was not present in the medium. The proposed intermediates of TNT biotransformation from the earlier studies was not detected in this experiment but the intermediates are tentatively proposed as nitro and amino-free compounds. These results should be helpful for the operation of the munition waste treatment in the future.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of a gamma irradiation to decompose 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene(TNT) in an aqueous solution. The decomposition reaction of TNT by gamma irradiation was a pseudo first-order kinetic over the applied initial concentrations($25{\sim}100mg/L$). The dose constant was strongly dependent on the initial TNT concentration. The removal of TNT was more efficient at pH below 3 and at pH above 11 than at neutral pH(pH 5-9). The required irradiation dose to remove over 99% of TNT was 40, 80 and 10 kGy, individually at pH 2, 7 and 13. The dose constant was increased by 1.6 fold and over 15.6 fold at pH 2 and 13, respectively, when compared with that at pH 7 When irradiation dose of 200 kGy was applied, the removal efficiencies of TOC were 91, 46 and 53% at pH 2, 7 and 13, respectively. Ammonia and nitrate were detected as the main nitrogen byproducts of TNT and glyoxalic acid and oxalic acid were detected as organic byproducts. The results showed that a gamma irradiation was an attractive method for the decomposition of TNT in an aqueous solution. However, regarding the application of high energy radiation for the TNT decomposition and mineralization, an application of an acidic pH below 3 to the solution before irradiation should be considered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.102-106
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• 2003

The uptake of $^{14}C$-2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in hydroponics was studied using onion plants. Of the total TNT mass (5 $\mu\textrm{M}$ concentration), 75% was in the roots, 4.4% in the leaves, and 21% in the external solution at 2 days, The percent distribution in roots was lower with higher concentration in the external solution, but in leaves it was comparable at all concentrations (5-500 $\mu\textrm{M}$). Root concentration factor (RCF) in hydroponics was more than 85 in constant hydroponic experiment (CHE) at 5 $\mu\textrm{M}$ and 150 in non-constant hydroponic experiment (NHE) at 5 $\mu\textrm{M}$. The maximum RCF values in the hydroponic system were greater with lower solution concentration. Transpiration stream concentration factor (TSCF) values in the present study (NHE only: 0.31-0.56) were relatively similar to the values with predicted values (0.43-0.78), increasing with higher external TNT concentration. For phytotoxicity tested in hydroponics and wet paper method, 500 $\mu\textrm{M}$ was toxic to onion plant, 50 $\mu\textrm{M}$ was non-toxic for plant growth but limited the transpiration rate, and 5 $\mu\textrm{M}$ was non-toxic as control.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.695-698
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• 2002

The biodegradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was performed on a laboratory scale using P. putida originally isolated from explosive-contaminated soil. One hundred mg/1 of TNT was completely degraded within 20 h under optimum conditions. Various supplemental energy sources (carbon sources, nitrogen sources, and surfactant) were tested, with the main objective of identifying an inexpensive source and enhancing the degradation rate for large-scale biodegradation. Based on the degradation rate, molasses was selected as a possible supplemental carbon source, along with NH$_4$Cl and Tween 80 as a nitrogen source and surfactant, respectively. The degradation rate increased about 3.3 fo1d when supplemental energy sources were added and the degradation rate constant increased from 0.068 h$\^$-1/ to 0.224 h$\^$-1/. These results appear to be promising in application of the process to TNT-contaminated soil applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.114-115
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.314-317
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• 2003

Plants may enhance the remediation of munitions at contaminated soils using various natural processes. A computer model can be used as a valuable tool for assisting phytoremediation by predicting the transport and fate of target contaminants at remediation sites. For this research, modeling of phytoremediation and bioremediation of soil contaminated with 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was studied. Indian mallow (Abutilion avicennae) was grown in columns packed with 126mg TNT/kg contaminated soils for 50 days and a simulation model was developed to simulate the transport and fate of TNT and its breakdown products interacting with plant roots in a partially saturated soil. The column test showed the substantially enhanced reduction of TNT and greater soil microbial activity in Indian mallow planted soil compared to unplanted soil. The model successfully simulated the fate of TNT and by-products in phytoremediation. The results suggested that plants could provide favorable environments for reduction of TNT.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.3-11
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• 2001

To select a suitable indigenous plant for the phytoremediation of TNT contaminated soil, eight representative species of native grasses were tested to identify TNT toxicity thresholds. The threshold was determined based on various factors including cumulative seed germination, root and shoot length, fresh biomass, and the amount of water uptake under various TNT concentrations. Phytotoxic effect of TNT on plants was increased with the increase in TNT concentration but the degree was varied between grass species. Concentrations up to 60-80mgTNT/liter did not affect germination of Abutilion avicennae, Echinochioa crusgalli var. frumentacea, and Aeschynomene indica. Phytotoxicity threshold inhibition (50%) of Abutilion avicennae, schinochioa crusgalli var. frumentacea, Aeschynomene indica were 5-40mgTNT/liter for root length, 50-73mg TNT/Liter for shoot length and 68-99mgTNT/Liter for fresh biomass during 14 days of seedling exposure. Root and shoot growth as well as fresh biomass decreased as TNT concentration increased. In addition, the amount of water uptake decreased with increasing TNT concentration in Abutilion avicennae and Aeschynomene indica. Comparison of toxicity thresholds for the tested grass species showed that sensitivity of plants to TNT was in the order of root length > shoot length > fresh biomass > germination rate. From these results, we concluded that Abutilion avicennae and Aeschynomene indica had tolerance to TNT among the species tested.