Technical Report
Toxicity of Selected Munitions and Munition-Contaminated Soil on the Earthworm (Eisenia foetida)
Phillips, C; Checkai, R; Wentsel, R
Edgewood Research Development and Engineering Center Aberdeen Proving Ground MD
ADA264408. CBRNIAC-CB-022375. ERDEC-TR-037
The munitions HMX (cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine), RDX (cyclotrimythylenetrinitramine), and TNT (trinitrotoluene) and soils from two Army ammunition plants (Radford, VA and Milan, TN), both contaminated with munitions or munition residues, were tested for their toxicity to the earthworm (Eisenia foetida). HMX and RDX were tested at 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 500 ug/g concentrations by weight in an artificial soil mixture. TNT was tested at 0, 80, 110, 140, 170, and 200 ug/g in artificial soil and at 0, 150, 300, 400, and 500 ug/g in a naturally-occurring forest soil. Contaminated Radford soil (60 ug/g TNT and 100 ug/g trinitrobenzene) and contaminated and fortified Radford soil (fortified with an additional 125 ug/g of 2,4dinitrotoluene and 40 ug/g 2,6- dinitrotoluene) were tested for their toxicity to earthworms. Contaminated and fortified Milan soil (initially contaminated with 13 ug/g HMX, 117 ug/g RDX, and 16 ug/g TNT and then fortified with 1000 ug/g of HMX, RDX, and 2,4-DNT each and 400 ug/g of 2,6-DNT) was also tested for its toxicity to earthworms. The lethal and sublethal effects these munitions and munition-contaminated soils had on earthworms are discussed in terms of the no observable effects level (NOEL) and lowest observable effects level (LOEL). Earthworms (Eisenia foetida), Munitions, No observable effects level (NOEL), Munition-contaminate, Lowest observable effects level (LOEL).
toxicity, soils, contamination, annelida, toxic hazards, chemicals, concentration(composition), rdx, agriculture, forests, peat, artificial soils, dnt, hmx, biological absorption, residues, tnt, environmental protection, exposure(physiology), ammunition