• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2012

We demonstrated that reductive degradation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (Royal Demolition Explosive, RDX) can be enhanced by bio-reduced iron-bearing soil minerals (IBSMs) using Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 (CN32). The degradation kinetic rate constant of TNT by bio-reduced magnetite was the highest (0.0039 $h^{-1}$), followed by green rust (0.0022 $h^{-1}$), goethite (0.0017 $h^{-1}$), lepidocrocite (0.0016 $h^{-1}$), and hematite (0.0006 $h^{-1}$). The highest rate constant was obtained by bio-reduced lepidocrocite (0.1811 $h^{-1}$) during RDX degradation, followed by magnetite (0.1700 $h^{-1}$), green rust (0.0757 $h^{-1}$), hematite (0.0495 $h^{-1}$), and goethite (0.0394 $h^{-1}$). Significant increase of Fe(II) was observed during the reductive degradation of TNT and RDX by bio-reduced IBSMs. X-ray diffraction and electron microscope analyses were conducted for identification of degradation mechanism of TNT and RDX in this study. 4-amino-dinitrotoluene were detected as products during TNT degradation, while Hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine, Hexahydro-1,3-dinitroso-5-nitro-1,3,5triazine, and Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine were observed during RDX degradation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.58-65
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• 2011

The bacterial uranium(VI) reduction and its resultant low solubility make this process an attractive option for removing U from groundwater. An impact of aqueous suspending iron phase, which is redox sensitive and ubiquitous in subsurface groundwater, on the U(VI) bioreduction by Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 was investigated. In our batch experiment, the U(VI) concentration ($5{\times}10^5M$) gradually decreased to a non-detectable level during the microbial respiration. However, when Fe(III) phase was suspended in solution, bioreduction of U(VI) was significantly suppressed due to a preferred reduction of Fe(III) instead of U(VI). This shows that the suspending amorphous Fe(III) phase can be a strong inhibitor to the U(VI) bioreduction. On the contrary, when iron was present as a soluble Fe(II) in the solution, the U(VI) removal was largely enhanced. The microbially-catalyzed U(VI) reduction resulted in an accumulation of solid-type U particles in and around the cells. Electron elemental investigations for the precipitates show that some background cations such as Ca and P were favorably coprecipitated with U. This implies that aqueous U tends to be stabilized by complexing with Ca or P ions, which easily diffuse and coprecipitate with U in and around the microbial cell.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.62-72
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• 2015

This study investigates the in-situ implementation of bio-regenerated iron mineral catalyst to remove explosive compounds in ground water at a military shooting range in operation. A bio-regenerated iron mineral catalyst was synthesized using lepidocrocite (iron-bearing soil mineral), iron-reducing bacteria Shewanella putrefaciens CN32, and electron mediator (riboflavin) in the culture medium. This catalyst was then injected periodically in the ground to build a redox active zone acting like permeable reactive barrier through injection wells constructed at a live fire military shooting range. Ground water and core soils were sampled periodically for analysis of explosive compounds, mainly RDX and its metabolites, along with toxicity analysis and REDOX potential measurement. Results suggested that a redox active zone was formed in the subsurface in which contaminated ground water flows through. Concentration of RDX as well as toxicity (% inhibition) of ground water decreased in the downstream compared to those in the upstream while concentration of RDX reduction products increased in the downstream.