title: Impact of ammunition and military explosives on human health and the environment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the literature concerning the risks associated with the main xenobiotics contained in military ammunition and explosive residues and damage to human and environmental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using "ammunition", "military", "environmental", "health", "explosive", "metal", "TNT", "RDX", "pollution", and "contamination" as search terms, a large database, namely ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed, was searched for studies on military ammunition and explosive residues from 1989 to 2010. Other sources used to conduct the search included the library of the Toxicology Laboratory of the Center for Workers' Health and Human Ecology (CESTEH) at the National School of Public Health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 15 different combinations were used with the search words above and 708 papers were found. Among them, 76 papers concerned this review. More than 12 references of interest were discovered in the library of the CESTEH. The results were organized into metals, dinitrotoluene, trinitrotoluene (TNT), and royal demolition explosive (RDX), showing their main uses, occurrence in the environment, the current toxic effects to human and environmental health, and remediation possibilities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because military activities can cause the acute and chronic exposure of human beings, the public administration must aim politics towards suitable environmental management.
authors: Laboratory of Toxicology/Center for Workers' Health and Human Ecology (CESTEH)/National School of Public Health (ENSP), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Débora R S
authors: DR
authors: Lima
authors: Marcio L S
authors: ML
authors: Bezerra
authors: Eduardo B
authors: EB
authors: Neves
authors: Fátima R
authors: FR
authors: Moreira
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000633:toxicity; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000633:toxicity; D014227:Triazines / Q000633:toxicity; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D053834:Explosive Agents; D008670:Metals; D014227:Triazines; D014303:Trinitrotoluene; C009160:cyclonite