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Aerobic biotransformation and mineralization of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

Conference ·
OSTI ID:490983
; ;  [1]
  1. Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering

Respirometric mineralization studies of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) were conducted with microorganisms isolated from a site contaminated with munitions waste in Illinois. Nine aerobic bacterial species were isolated under a carbon- and nitrogen-limited condition and tentatively identified as: one Pseudomonas species; one Enterobacter species; and seven Alcaligenes species. Experiments were performed using each of the nine organisms individually and with a consortium of all nine bacterial species. The aerobic microorganisms were cultured in a sterile nutrient solution with glucose and 20 mg/L TNT. Mineralization was determined using uniformly ring-labeled {sup 14}C-TNT in a respirometer that trapped the evolved CO{sub 2}. Biodegradation behavior was characterized based on oxygen consumption, distribution of {sup 14}C activity, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of TNT and its transformation products.

Sponsoring Organization:
Department of the Army, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI ID:
490983
Report Number(s):
CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-008-X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English