RESEARCH UPDATE: Investigating the impact of TNT on bacterial communities in North Sea sediments

How do bacteria in North Sea sediments respond to TNT pollution, and can they be used as an indicator to identify hotspots of TNT contamination? 

A recent laboratory experiment, conducted by Wyona Schütte, a researcher from the Flanders Marine Insitute (VLIZ, Belgium) in the course the REMARCO project, aims to answer these questions. The sediments for the study were collected at a munition dumping site and reference area in the North Sea and exposed to different concentrations of TNT in a laboratory at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven. Currently, the samples are being analyzed by researchers from the REMARCO project partners VLIZ and UKSH. The findings will enhance our knowledge of TNT's environmental impact and aid in developing effective monitoring strategies for marine ecosystems.