Part one of term paper
TNT is not the kind of substance that most people think of composting, but it can be done! At several U.S. Army depots, the water used in processing explosives was disposed of through evaporation from unlined lagoons. This has resulted in sediments and soils that are contaminated with TNT (2,4,6- trinitrotoluene) and its derivatives RDX (hex ...

Part two of term paper
... where composting comes in. TNT, RDX, and HMX are complex organic compounds made up of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. When combined with more conventional compost ingredients such as manures, sawdust, straw, and fruit and vegetable processing wastes, the explosives become broken down into harmless chemical forms. The Army is using composting to clean up munitions processing wastes at several of its ammunition plants, including ones in Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Oregon. At the Oregon site, co ...