Dangerous Replacement: How DNAN in Explosives Threatens Plant and Animal Life

**The University of York's study** reveals that DNAN, used increasingly over TNT in military explosives, poses significant environmental risks. Unlike TNT, which primarily impacts plant roots, DNAN spreads throughout the plant, accumulating in above-ground parts and posing a greater threat to animals and humans via the food chain. **DNAN reacts with a plant enzyme**, forming highly damaging reactive superoxide, which plants struggle to detoxify. While genetically modified plants have been successful in detoxifying land contaminated with TNT, they are ineffective against DNAN. The US, with over 10 million hectares of contaminated military land, faces severe challenges in remediation, with costs expected to be substantial. **This research stresses the urgent need for developing sustainable, plant-based remediation strategies** and further studies on DNAN's toxicity in humans.