What Is Trinitrotoluene?
Trinitrotoluene, TNT, or 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a nitro chemical compound with the formula C₆H₂(NO₂)₃CH₃. TNT is a yellow-colored solid and contains in its structure three NO2 groups and one –CH3 group all bonded to carbon atoms on the aromatic ring (Juhasz and Naidu 2007, Pichtel 2012). Oxygen and nitrogen are the two highly electronegative elements where oxygen possesses the highest electro-negativity. Subsequently, the polarized N–O bonds within the nitro groups makes them easily reducible (Esteve-Nunez et al. 2001, Ayoub et al. 2010). Its molar mass is 227.13 g/mol, density 1.65 g/cm³, boiling point 295°C. TNT melts at 80 °C, far below the temperature of it spontaneous detonation. This allows the explosive to be poured as well
as safely combined with other explosives (Thiboutot et al. 2002, Pichtel 2012). TNT intermediate character between hydrophobic and hydrophilic (octanol-water partition coefficient, log Kow= 1.6 or 1.86) makes it to be slowly sorbed in soil and sediment. Consequently, its relative mobility in environment can pose serious threats (Brannon and Pennington 2002, Thiboutot et al. 2002, Juhasz and Naidu 2007, Ayoub et al. 2010, Khan et al. 2013). This suggests that the contamination of ground water is more likely especially in vadose zones where the water table is very high. Other researches however, stress on TNT hydrophobic character and strong sorption to soil particles and low mobility (Rodgers and Bunce 2001, Robertson and Jjemba 2005, Georgie 2011), which reduces its bioavailability to the biodegraders (Georgie 2011, Kalderis et al. 2011, Khan et al. 2013). This may render the bioremediation methods ineffective and make TNT persistent in a contaminated soil.
as safely combined with other explosives (Thiboutot et al. 2002, Pichtel 2012). TNT intermediate character between hydrophobic and hydrophilic (octanol-water partition coefficient, log Kow= 1.6 or 1.86) makes it to be slowly sorbed in soil and sediment. Consequently, its relative mobility in environment can pose serious threats (Brannon and Pennington 2002, Thiboutot et al. 2002, Juhasz and Naidu 2007, Ayoub et al. 2010, Khan et al. 2013). This suggests that the contamination of ground water is more likely especially in vadose zones where the water table is very high. Other researches however, stress on TNT hydrophobic character and strong sorption to soil particles and low mobility (Rodgers and Bunce 2001, Robertson and Jjemba 2005, Georgie 2011), which reduces its bioavailability to the biodegraders (Georgie 2011, Kalderis et al. 2011, Khan et al. 2013). This may render the bioremediation methods ineffective and make TNT persistent in a contaminated soil.