Transformation Of The Explosive Tnt By Clostridia

Several strains of clostridia cometabolically transformed the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) into 2,4,6-triaminotoluene (TAT). The rate of reduction strongly correlated with the applied electron donor. During the stationary phase of growth TAT was further transformed via at least two metabolites into products that no longer exhibited absorption of UV-light in the range of 200 to 450 nm. The formation of a variety of products so far described in the literature could be excluded by means of several analytical techniques.