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The Problem

TNT has been used as an explosive since 1902.By the end of the 20th century over 1000 tons of TNT were being produced each year in the USA alone. The health implications of exposure to TNT are well known.Unfortunately TNT pollution is not one that goes away! Though the chemical does break down, at a WWI ammunitions destruction facility in Belgium TNT remnants were found to be present in soil over 80 years after its closure.

Health implications…

Chronic exposure to TNT can cause a syndrome that puts the sufferer at an increased risk of leukemia. In Marburg, Germany residents living close to a WWII ammunition plant that left ground soil contaminated with TNT were 10x more likely to die of leukemia than the national average. A study conducted on copper miners that used TNT in their work found they were 4.5x more likely to develop urinary tract tumors and 14.3x more at risk of kidney tumors. This mutagenic effect has also been seen in mice.

Prolonged TNT exposure can cause cataracts. An Israeli study showed that 50% of people had developed the illness after 7 years exposure on average. In a Chinese study that tracked munitions workers who had been exposed to TNT for 20 years, 88.4% of the workers had developed peripheral, cataracts.

Accute exposure to TNT results in a 1-8% increase in methemoglobin levels in the blood. This can last for 2-5 days. Methemoglobin is dangerous as it is unable to bind oxygen – meaning that oxygen cannot be released into the blood. This may result in tissue hypoxia.

There have also been multiple studies in animals that show negative effects on fertility, development of dermatitis, anemia and spleen damage.

Exposure to TNT occurs in many places across the world. The main cause of TNT pollution is through military exercises. Mining, laboratory research and unused munitions sites also contribute towards the pollution. There are 100s of TNT polluted sites in America alone. In Europe and Asia these numbers are even higher. Here are some specific examples of situations where the legacy of TNT pollution has created public health problems:

In Germany an ammunition factory from WWII produced over 5 million cubic meters of TNT. This resulted in polluted ground water over the course of xx years.

Closer to home, England created 12 munitions factories during WWI and another 16 in WWII. These factories all produced toxic TNT waste. In addition to this during the wars many bombs containing TNT were dropped on the country, in one year alone during WWII it is approximated that this accounted for about 100 tons.

Unused munitions are difficult to dispose of. This results in dumping sites. At Beau forts Dyke, Scotland over 1 million tons of used munitions have been dumped into the ocean. Many of these munitions are explosive contaminated and at risk of causing exposure around the Scottish coastline. There are 9 smaller-scale dumping sites in Scotland and another 12 in England.

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