title: Comparison of TNT removal from seawater by three marine macroalgae.
abstract: Axenic plantlets derived from three species of marine macroalgae, the temperate green alga Acrosiphonia coalita, the temperate red alga Porphyra yezoensis, and the tropical red alga Portieria hornemannii, all possessed a similar metabolic route to remove the explosive compound 2,4,6-trinitrotolune (TNT) from seawater. At a biomass density of 1.2 g l(-1) and initial TNT concentrations of 10 mg l(-1) or less, TNT removal from seawater was 100% within 72 h for P. hornemannii and P. yezoensis. Specific rate constants for TNT uptake were 0.016-0.018 l g(-1)FWh(-1) for A. coalita filaments, 0.047-0.062 l g(-1)FW h(-1) for P. yezoensis blades, and 0.037-0.049 l g(-1)FW h(-1) for P. hornemannii microplantlets. Only trace amounts of TNT were found within the biomass. All species reduced TNT to 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2,6-dintrotoluene, but these products never accounted for more than 20% of the initial TNT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cruz-Uribe
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Cheney
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rorrer
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D001711:Biotransformation; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000378:metabolism*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D044664:Porphyra / Q000378:metabolism*; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000378:metabolism*; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis*; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014303:Trinitrotoluene