title: Development of a soil extraction procedure for ecotoxicity characterization of energetic compounds.
abstract: The acetonitrile-sonication extraction method (US EPA Method 8330) associated with aquatic-based toxicity tests was examined to study the ecotoxicity of energetic substances in soil. Three studies were carried out: (1) toxicological characterization of different energetic substances to select a representative toxicant and to validate the choice of bioassays; (2) choice of an appropriate solvent to transfer acetonitrile extracts to the bioassay incubation media; and (3) optimization of Method 8330 using soil samples spiked with the toxicant. Initial studies indicated that pure 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was toxic to Vibrio fischeri [Microtox; IC50 (15 min) of 4.2 microM], whereas RDX was less toxic (IC20 = 181 microM) and HMX was not toxic up to its limit of water solubility (< 22 microM). Selected pure TNT metabolites were less toxic than TNT. Similar results were found using the 96-h Selenastrum capricornutum growth inhibition test. The toxicity of pure TNT in different solvents (acetonitrile, acetone, and DMSO) and that from Method 8330-extracted TNT-spiked soil samples were compared to TNT dissolved in water. Data indicated that DMSO was the most appropriate solvent to transfer the acetonitrile extracts. A modified Method 8330 may be used in conjunction with bioassays and chemical analyses to examine the ecotoxicity of soils contaminated with energetic substances.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montréal, Québec.
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Sunahara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarrazin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ampleman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thiboutot
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hawari
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Renoux
mesh_terms: D000096:Acetone / Q000737:chemistry; D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000737:chemistry; D001392:Azocines / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006573:Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D012378:Rodenticides / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D012997:Solvents; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014227:Triazines / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D014733:Vibrio / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000097:Acetonitriles; D001392:Azocines; D006573:Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; D012378:Rodenticides; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D012997:Solvents; D014227:Triazines; D014303:Trinitrotoluene; D000096:Acetone; C007950:octogen; C009160:cyclonite; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide; C032159:acetonitrile