Biodegradability of selected highly energetic pollutants under aerobic conditions

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:490985

Jones, A M; Greer, C W; Hawari, J ^[1]; Ampleman, G ^[2]; Lavigne, J ^[3]

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1. National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Biotechnology Research Inst.
2. Defence Research Establishment Valcartier, Courcelette, Quebec (Canada). Div. des Materiaux Energetiques
3. Canadian Embassy, Washington, DC (United States)

Laboratory studies were conducted to assess the biodegradation potential of four energetic compounds--1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), glycidyl azide polymer (GAP), and nitrocellulose (NC)--under aerobic conditions. Soils contaminated with energetic compounds were screened for microorganisms able to degrade these compounds. Rhodococcus sp. strain A was enriched and purified from RDX-contaminated soil by its ability to use RDX as sole source of nitrogen. Using [{sup 14}C]-labeled RDX, its ability to mineralize RDX to CO{sub 2} in pure culture under aerobic conditions was verified. Bioaugmentation of RDX-contaminated soil with this bacterium enhanced the rate and extent of biodegradation. Although TNT is a more toxic and recalcitrant pollutant, concentration-dependent [{sup 14}C]TNT mineralization activity was detected in TNT-contaminated soil. A Pseudomonas sp., enriched from this soil, was able to extensively transform TNT to partially reduced amine metabolites in axenic liquid culture. In contrast to these isolates, which utilized RDX and TNT as sources of nitrogen, soil consortia developed from soils exhibiting [{sup 14}C]GAP and [{sup 14}C]NC mineralization activities used GAP and NC as sole carbon sources for growth.

• OSTI ID: 490985
• Report Number(s): CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-008-X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BIODEGRADATION
NITRO COMPOUNDS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS
TNT