Editing TNT (section)

== Safety and toxicity ==
TNT is poisonous, and skin contact can cause skin irritation, causing the skin to turn a bright yellow-orange color. During the [[World War I|First World War]], female munition workers who handled the chemical found that their skin turned bright yellow, which resulted in their acquiring the nickname "[[canary girls]]" or simply "canaries".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-05-20|title=The Canary Girls: The workers the war turned yellow|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-39434504|access-date=2021-02-07}}</ref>

People exposed to TNT over a prolonged period tend to experience [[anemia]] and abnormal [[liver]] functions. [[Blood]] and liver effects, [[spleen]] enlargement and other harmful effects on the [[immune system]] have also been found in animals that ingested or breathed trinitrotoluene. There is evidence that TNT adversely affects male [[fertility]].<ref>[http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp81.pdf Toxicological Profile for 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene]. atsdr.cdc.gov</ref> TNT is listed as a possible human [[carcinogen]], with carcinogenic effects demonstrated in animal experiments with rats, although effects upon humans so far amount to none (according to IRIS of March 15, 2000).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8376 |website=www.nlm.nih.gov|title=2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene}}</ref> Consumption of TNT produces red [[urine]] through the presence of breakdown products and not blood as sometimes believed.<ref>{{Cite web | publisher = [[Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry]] | title=2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene|url=http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp81-c2.pdf | access-date = 2010-05-17}}</ref>

Some military testing grounds are contaminated with [[wastewater]] from munitions programs, including contamination of surface and [[groundwater|subsurface waters]] which may be colored pink because of the presence of TNT. Such contamination, called "pink water", may be difficult and expensive to [[Environmental remediation|remedy]].{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

TNT is prone to [[exudation]] of [[dinitrotoluene]]s and other isomers of trinitrotoluene when [[shell (projectile)|projectiles]] containing TNT are stored at higher temperatures in warmer climates. Exudation of impurities leads to formation of pores and cracks (which in turn cause increased shock sensitivity). Migration of the exudated liquid into the [[Fuze (explosives)|fuze]] screw thread can form ''fire channels'', increasing the risk of accidental detonation. Fuze malfunction can also result from the liquid migrating into the fuze mechanism.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9tIQDn2uZz4C&pg=PA11|title=The Chemistry of Explosives|date=2004|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|isbn=978-0-85404-640-9|pages=11–|author=Akhavan J}}</ref> [[Calcium silicate]] is mixed with TNT to mitigate the tendency towards exudation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.islandgroup.com/military/explosives_additives.php|title=Explosive & Propellant Additives|work=islandgroup.com|access-date=2014-06-07|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032754/http://www.islandgroup.com/military/explosives_additives.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Pink and red water===
{{For|the author|Daniel Pinkwater}}

'''Pink water''' and '''red water''' are two distinct types of [[wastewater]] related to trinitrotoluene.<ref>{{cite book|last=Yinon|first=Jehuda|title=Toxicity and metabolism of explosives|year=1990|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=0-8493-5128-6|pages=176|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BD3c7FN4x5YC&q=%22red+water%22+tnt&pg=PA39}}</ref> Pink water is produced from equipment washing processes after [[munitions]] filling or [[demilitarization]] operations,<ref name="NDCEE_1995">{{cite report |author=National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence |title=Pink Water Treatment Options |url= https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA295802.pdf |publisher= U.S. Army Environmental Center |access-date=2024-04-25}}</ref><ref name="Deuren_2002"/> and as such is generally saturated with the maximum amount of TNT that will dissolve in water (about 150 parts per million (ppm).) However it has an indefinite composition that depends on the exact process; in particular, it may also contain [[cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine]] (RDX) if the plant uses TNT/RDX mixtures, or [[HMX]] if TNT/HMX is used.  '''Red water''' (also known as "Sellite water") is produced during the process used to purify the crude TNT.  It has a complex composition containing more than a dozen aromatic compounds, but the principal components are inorganic salts ([[sodium sulfate]], [[sodium sulfite]], [[sodium nitrite]] and [[sodium nitrate]]) and [[Sulfonic acid#Sulfonic acids|sulfonated]] [[Nitro_compound#Aromatic_nitro_compounds|nitroaromatics]].{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

Pink and red water are colorless at the time of generation; the color is produced by [[photolysis|photolytic]] reactions under the influence of sunlight. Despite the names, red and pink water are not necessarily different shades; the color depends mainly on the duration of solar exposure. If exposed long enough, "pink" water may turn various shades of pink, red, rusty orange, or black.<ref name="Deuren_2002">{{cite report |last1=Van Deuren |first1=Julie |last2=Lloyd |first2=Teressa |last3=Chhetry |first3=Shobha |last4=Liou |first4=Raycham |last5=Peck |first5=James |date=January 2002 |title=Remediation Technologies Screening Matrix and Reference Guide |edition=4 |url=https://www.frtr.gov/matrix2/section2/2_10_3.html |publisher= U.S. Army Environmental Center |access-date=2024-04-25}}</ref><ref name="Burlinson_1973">{{cite report |last1=Burlinson |first1=Nicholas E. |last2=Kaplan |first2=Lloyd A. |last3=Adams |first3=Charles E.  |date=1973-10-03 |title=Photochemistry of TNT: Investigation of the "Pink Water" Problem |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD0769670.pdf |publisher= U.S. Army Environmental Center |access-date=2024-04-25}}</ref>

Because of the toxicity of TNT, the discharge of pink water to the environment has been prohibited in the US and many other countries for decades, but ground contamination may exist in very old plants. However, RDX and [[tetryl]] contamination is usually considered more problematic, as TNT has very low soil mobility.  Red water is significantly more toxic and as such it has always been considered hazardous waste. It has traditionally been disposed of by evaporation to dryness (as the toxic components are not volatile), followed by incineration. Much research has been conducted to develop better disposal processes.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}