Bioremediation of munitions-contaminated soils
- Remediation Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (United States)
Military installations nationwide are required to cleanup soils contaminated with ordnance compounds, such as 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT), octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazocine (HMX), and 1,3,5-2,4,2-triazine (RDX), introduced into the environment during the manufacture, use, storage, and disposal of explosives. Numerous laboratory and field studies have confirmed the effectiveness of aerobic biological treatment (composting) for remediation of soils contaminated with these and related nitroaromatics. Composting involves the incubation of contaminated soils with organic amendments under thermophilic conditions (i.e., temperatures between 40 and 70 C). Recently, the remediation of soils contaminated with nitroaromatics has also been demonstrated under anaerobic treatment conditions in bench- and field-scale studies. These studies have involved the incubation of soils in closed reactors or flooded soil cells with obligate anaerobic bacteria. Presented in this paper are the results of parallel bench-scale anaerobic and aerobic treatability studies carried out to aid in the selection of a treatment remedy for nitroaromatic contaminated soils. Bench-scale composting reactors were established by adding organic substrates to each soil at a 70% loading (on a volume basis). To investigate the anaerobic treatment of ordnance compounds, the SIMPLOT proprietary process was evaluated using a consortium of anaerobic bacteria. This process effectively remediated soil contaminated with Dinoseb, a related nitroaromatic compound, when tested in a field demonstration of the technology.
- OSTI ID:
- 124500
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940499--; ISBN 1-56590-014-6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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