Hydraulic Controls & TNT Phytodegradation by Tropical Fimbry

Understanding of fate and transport phenomena of explosives and development of effective remediation and detection technologies for them are critical for ensuring homeland security and on-going military activities. Fate and transport of explosives within the soil and to the soil surface is influenced by intertwined biogeochemical processes that affect their spatial and temporal concentrations in soil and groundwater environments. Surface vegetation can play a significant role in the fate, transport and subsequent detection and remediation of explosives. Little attention, however, has been paid to systematically study and integrate it into physical and numerical models. A small-scale field experiment has been conducted focusing on the impact of surface vegetation with a native tropical grass (tropical fimbry) on the fate and transport of high explosives (trinitrotoluene and dinitrotoluene). In order to quantify adjective impact on the fate and transport, hydraulic influence has been monitored in the presence and absence of surface vegetation. For the biogeochemical parameters, explosives concentrations in soil and water, soil enzymatic changes and microbial activities have been quantified. Environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, daylight, evapotranspiration, etc. have also been monitored via a weather station and interpreted in conjunction to the biogeochemical parameters.