MOLECULAR-GENETIC AND METABOLIC EFFECTS OF CARCINOGENIC DEGRADATION PRODUCTS OF AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS

Abstract

Summary. The article summarizes current knowledge on the molecular genetic and metabolic effects of carcinogenic decomposition products of ammonium-containing and nitro-organic explosives under conditions of technogenic and war-related environmental contamination. It is shown that detonation and post-detonation degradation of high-energy materials are accompanied by the formation of nitrogen oxides, nitrites, nitrates, and secondary Nnitroso compounds, which can persist in soil, water, and air and contribute to chronic low-dose human exposure. The main exposure routes, toxicokinetic features, and mechanisms by which exogenous nitrogen-containing derivatives are integrated into endogenous NO-dependent signaling networks are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the synergy between reactive nitrogen species and reactive oxygen species, the development of nitrosative and oxidative stress, peroxynitrite formation, DNA damage, genomic instability, epigenetic alterations, and metabolic dysregulation. The review substantiates that secondary nitrosation represents a key mechanistic bridge between environmental contamination by explosive-derived compounds and their potential cancer relevance. It is concluded that chronic exposure to decomposition products of ammonium-based explosives should be regarded as an important long-term biomedical risk factor requiring further interdisciplinary research at the interface of molecular toxicology, environmental health, and experimental oncology.