The production and use of explosives have led to environmental problems, including soil and groundwater contamination with explosive residues. The toxic and mutagenic effects of explosive contaminants, such as TNT, RDX, and HMX, are well-established. The International Agency for Research on Cancer lists 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 2,6-dinitrotoluene as possible carcinogens in humans.
Current detection methods for trace explosives in soil and groundwater rely on analytical devices, but these are expensive and require expertise. A complementary approach is to use live cell sensors, which can provide information on the bioavailability and toxicity of target compounds. Microbial bioreporters, which are genetically engineered to produce a signal in response to specific chemicals, have been developed for explosives detection.
One example is a bioreporter designed to detect TNT and 2,4-DNT, which uses a regulatory protein to activate a reporter gene in response to the presence of the target analyte. Other examples include the use of Escherichia coli bioreporters to detect 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). These bioreporters have shown promising results in detecting explosives, but further development is needed to improve their sensitivity and specificity.