A laboratory study of the bioremediation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene-contaminated soil using aerobic/anoxic soil slurry reactor.

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Water Environ. Res.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2175/106143098X126919· OSTI ID:937973

Boopathy, R; Manning, J; Kulpa, C F

The successful operation of an aerobic/anoxic laboratory-scale soil slurry reactor showed that soil contaminated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-l,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine (RDX) could be treated in batches or semicontinuously. Batch treatment resulted in the transformation of TNT. Semicontinuous treatment resulted in complete degradation of TNT. In addition to removing TNT, the slurry reactor also removed contaminants such as trinitrobenzene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, RDX, and octahydro-l,3,5,7-tetranitro-l,3,5,7-tetraazocine (HMX). Radiolabeled TNT incubated with reactor biomass showed that 23% of [{sup 14}C]TNT was mineralized, 27% was converted to biomass, and 8% was adsorbed onto the soil. The rest of the [{sup 14}C]TNT was accounted for as metabolites, including a ring cleavage product identified as 2,3-butanediol. Increasing the frequency of soil addition from once to two or three times weekly did not affect the TNT removal rates. The soil slurry reactor also maintained the bacterial population fairly well, needing only 0.3% molasses as a cosubstrate.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 937973
• Report Number(s): ANL/ER/JA-25057
• Journal Information: Water Environ. Res., Journal Name: Water Environ. Res. Journal Issue: 1 ; Jan./Feb. 1998 Vol. 70
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BIOMASS
BIOREMEDIATION
CLEAVAGE
METABOLITES
MOLASSES
REMOVAL
SLURRY REACTORS
SOILS
TNT
TRANSFORMATIONS