Study on aerobic degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) using Pseudarthrobacter chlorophenolicus collected from the contaminated site.

2,4,6-trinitrotoluene or TNT, a commonly used explosive, can pollute soil and groundwater. Conventional remediation practices for the TNT-contaminated sites are neither eco-friendly nor cost-effective. However, exploring bacteria to biodegrade TNT into environment-friendly compound(s) is an interesting area to explore. In this study, an indigenous bacterium, Pseudarthrobacter chlorophenolicus, strain S5-TSA-26, isolated from explosive contaminated soil, was investigated for potential aerobic degradation of TNT for the first time. The isolated strain of P. chlorophenolicus was incubated in a minimal salt medium (MSM) containing 120 mg/L TNT for 25 days at specified conditions. TNT degradation pattern by the bacterium was monitored at regular interval using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography mass spectrophotometric, by estimating nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium ion concentration and other metabolites such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT), and 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2-DANT). It was observed that, in the presence of TNT, there was no reduction in growth of the bacterium although it multiplied well in the presence of TNT along with no considerable morphological changes. Furthermore, it was found that TNT degraded completely within 15 days of incubation. Thus, from this study, it may be concluded that the bacterium has the potential for degrading TNT completely with the production of non-toxic by-products and might be an important bacterium for treating TNT (i.e., a nitro-aromatic compound)-contaminated sites.