• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.315-321
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• 1999

The relationships between the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) degradation by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and several relevant physicochemical environmental parameters were examined. At neutral pH of the cultures, the degradation of TNT proceeded to completion, whereas only about 50% of TNT was utilized when the cultures were adjusted to acidic pH. The effect of various co-substrates (e.g., glucose, fructose, acetate, citrate, succinate) on the degradation of TNT by the test culture of S. maltophilia was evaluated. The results indicated that, among the various co-substrates studies, the test culture that received 2 mM fructose degraded 100 mg/L of TNT completely within 20 days of incubation at ambient temperature, whereas partial degradation of TNT was observed in the test culture with acetate, citrate, or succinate as a co-substrate, respectively. In fact, fructose was the best co-substrate for TNT degradation in this experiment. The effect of supplemented nitrogens [e.g., (NH$_4$)$_2$,SO$_4$, NH$_4$Cl. urea] on the TNT degradation was monitored. All supplemented nitrogens in this study were inhibitory to TNT degradation. Addition of 1% Tween80 accelerated TNT degradation, and showed complete degradation of TNT within 8 days of incubation. Addition of yeast extract resulted higher growth yields, based on turbidity measurement, but it inhibited TNT degradation.