Scientists have discovered why TNT is so toxic to plants and intend to use the knowledge to tackle the problem of cleaning up the many sites worldwide contaminated by the commonly used explosive.
Researchers on Thursday said they have pinpointed an enzyme in plants that reacts with TNT, which is present in the soil at contaminated sites, and damages plant cells. TNT pollution can devastate vegetation and leave land desolate.
Conventional breeding techniques could be used to produce plants like grasses that would lack the enzyme and be more tolerant of TNT, they said. These could be grown to re-vegetate contaminated land and remove TNT from the soil.