The degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in wastewater using nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) was investigated. The results showed that >99% TNT was degraded when the initial TNT concentration was 80 mg L-1 after degradation for 3 h by 5 g L-1 of nZVI at pH 4, 40 degrees C using a rotary oscillation incubator operating at 200 rpm. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics model fit the kinetics of TNT degradation by nZVI well. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry showed that TNT was adsorbed on the surface of nZVI, and this reduced TNT in aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the surface of nZVI changed during the degradation of TNT. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.