Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Biotransformation of the explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and 1,3,5-triaza 1,3,5-trinitrocyclohexane by Clostridium bifermentans

Conference ·
OSTI ID:491076
;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID (United States). Inst. for Molecular and Agricultural Genetic Engineering

A strain of Clostridium bifermentans isolated from a munitions-supplemented enrichment was able to remove both TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) and RDX (1,3,5-triaza 1,3,5-trinitrocyclohexane) from its growth media. Biotransformations of TNT and RDX by cometabolism in a nutrient rich medium reduced the removal time from several days to a few hours, as compared to a nutrient limited medium. Redox potential (Eh) of the media had important effects on the biological and abiological transformations of the munition compounds.

OSTI ID:
491076
Report Number(s):
CONF-9406250--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English