A toxicological review on potential microbial degradation intermediates of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and its implications in bioremediation

In this article, current knowledge on the potential fate, biodegradation, and toxicity of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was thoroughly reviewed, focusing on the toxicological evaluation of a variety of potential TNT microbial degradation routes. The present review on microbial degradation pathways and toxicities of biodegradation intermediate products suggests that aerobic TNT degradation pathways may be advantageous from a toxicological perspective, while anaerobic degradation pathways may be preferred over aerobic degradation due to its potential for complete TNT mineralization. Our review on TNT-degrading bacterial and fungal isolates suggests that the ecological understanding of TNT-degrading microbes in subsurface environments must be significantly improved to select an appropriate TNT bioremediation strategy.