Stability of immobilized 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene metabolites in soil under long-term leaching conditions

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT)-contaminated soil was remediated by an anaerobi c/aerobic slurry process. Prior to treatment, the soil was spiked with [C-1 4]-TNT. Leaching experiments were carried out with the decontaminated soil to determine the degree of binding of the radiolabel under a variety of con ditions. To simulate natural degradation processes of soil organic matter e ach of three columns was subjected to a different treatment known to enhanc e biological transformation over a 92-week period. Only minor amounts of ra dioactivity (1.0% of the bound radioactivity) were released from treated so il incubated in the presence of the lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete c hrysosporium. Simulation of seasonal variation in temperature, including fr eezing of the soil, did not cause a significant release of radioactivity (1 .4%). Growth and flowering of the bush bean Phaseolus vulgaris only release d 0.8% of the bound radioactivity to the eluate; however, during the decomp osition phase, an additional 7.7% of the bound radioactivity was released. We propose that this radioactivity was bound to soluble humic material that was mobilized due to a pH shift during the decomposition of the plant orga nic matter. This is supported by the observation that neither free TNT nor its metabolites were present in the eluate. During the different incubation experiments, 3.9 to 8.5% of the bound radioactivity was found as (CO2)-C-1 4. The results indicate a slow turnover of even strongly bound immobilized metabolites of TNT.