The chemical substitute for TNT is even more harmful to plants

Nov 29. () –

The increase in the use of a chemical compound to replace TNT in explosive devices has a detrimental and long-lasting effect on plants, new research has shown.

In recent years, TNT has begun to be replaced by DNAN, but until now very little was known about how this substance affects the environment and how long it can remain in the soil.

Researchers at the University of York have been studying the environmental impact of the explosive TNT for more than a decade. They have shown that the chemical compound, used by militaries around the world, It remains in the roots of plants, where it inhibits growth and development.

However, now a new study, led by Professor Neil Bruce of the Department of Biology at the University of York and director of the Center for New Agricultural Products (CNAP), has shown that DNAN has similar effects to TNT, but accumulates in the entire plant and remains for longer.

Professor Neil Bruce said in a statement: “Similar to TNT, DNAN reacts with a key plant enzyme, generating reactive superoxide, which is highly damaging to cells. In the course of our research, we have genetically modified plants to successfully detoxify soil contaminated with munitions. “.

“Unfortunately, DNAN is a very different story to TNT, as it accumulates in above-ground parts of the plant. Although plants can use natural processes to reduce the toxicity of TNT, our studies have found that plants Plants do not appear to have a natural way to combat the toxic effects of DNAN, meaning it persists in the plant and is toxic at much lower concentrations.”

The researchers warn that, as DNAN is present throughout the plant and not just in the root system, as is the case with TNT, there is a greater risk of animals eating the infected plant, introducing the toxin into the chain. food.

In previous studies by York’s team, genetically modified grass was grown on land contaminated with military explosives, which successfully degraded the contaminants to undetectable levels in their plant tissues, but so far there is no method to eliminate or reduce DNAN.

It is estimated that the United States has more than 10 million hectares of military land contaminated with explosive components and the US government estimates that remediation of unexploded ordnance at US military training ranges alone will cost between $16 and $165 billion. dollars.

Dr Liz Rylott, co-author of the study from the Department of Biology at the University of York, said: “In recent years we have seen an increase in the use of military explosives due to global conflicts, so we are potentially looking at contamination large scale, which means that There is an urgent need and interest in developing sustainable plant-based remediation strategies.

“We also don’t know what the limits of DNAN’s toxicity are in humans, so our hope is that our latest research will highlight that more work is urgently needed to understand its effects.”