IDENTIFICATION OF 2,4,6-TRINITROTOLUENE AND ITS BIODEGRADATION PRODUCTS BY THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY

A thin layer chromatographic (TLC) method, with silica as the stationa ry phase, has been developed for the separation of 2,4,6-trinitrotolue ne (TNT) and its biodegradation products. Good separation of TNT, 4-hy droxyamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-amino-2,6 -dinitrotoluene, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene, and 2,6-diamino-4-nitroto luene has been achieved. Samples taken from solutions designed to simu late biodegradation of TNT in a pond under different nutritional condi tions have been extracted and analyzed; the composition of these is de scribed.