Accumulation and biotransformation of nitramines in plant tissue

Explosives are toxic, recalcitrant to degradation and contaminate large areas of land and ground water. Remediation of these xenobiotics is difficult and an enormous logistical task. Phytoremediation is a technique that offers an environment friendly, low-cost alternative to current remediation techniques. However this approach is hindered by the low metabolic abilities of plants towards these xenobiotic compounds and the phytotoxicity of these compounds. The fate of the explosives RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) and HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) on exposure to plant was investigated in hydroponic system of sunflower (Heliantus annuus L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) approximately for more than 10 days. Exposure levels were: 10mg/l and 50mg/l RDX, respectively HMX for sunflower; 25mg/l and 50mg/l RDX , 5mg/l and 50mg/l HMX for hemp. Their ecotoxicites were characterized by the test based on the inhibition of elongation of primary roots 3days-old mustard and hemp seedlings. Extracts of plants were analyzed by HPLC (liquid chromatography). These study showed that RDX and HMX was taken up by both plant species. The accumulation of these nitramines was observed more in the roots than in the aerial parts of the plants, except for RDX in hemp, where the..