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Laboratory evaluation of bioaugmentation for aerobic treatment of RDX in groundwater

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Abstract

The potential for bioaugmentation with aerobic explosive degrading bacteria to remediate hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) contaminated aquifers was demonstrated. Repacked aquifer sediment columns were used to examine the transport and RDX degradation capacity of the known RDX degrading bacterial strains Gordonia sp. KTR9 (modified with a kanamycin resistance gene) Pseudomonas fluorescens I-C, and a kanamycin resistant transconjugate Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 pGKT2:Km+. All three strains were transported through the columns and eluted ahead of the conservative bromide tracer, although the total breakthrough varied by strain. The introduced cells responded to biostimulation with fructose (18 mg L−1, 0.1 mM) by degrading dissolved RDX (0.5 mg L−1, 2.3 µM). The strains retained RDX-degrading activity for at least 6 months following periods of starvation when no fructose was supplied to the column. Post-experiment analysis of the soil indicated that the residual cells were distributed along the length of the column. When the strains were grown to densities relevant for field-scale application, the cells remained viable and able to degrade RDX for at least 3 months when stored at 4 °C. These results indicate that bioaugmentation may be a viable option for treating RDX in large dilute aerobic plumes.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) under contract W912DW-12-C-0029. Views, opinions, and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of Defense position or decision unless so designated by other official documentation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CB&I Federal Services, 17 Princess Road, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648, USA

    Mark E. Fuller, Paul B. Hatzinger, Charles W. Condee, Christina Andaya & Simon Vainberg

  2. Engineering Design Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, WA, 98134, USA

    Mandy M. Michalsen

  3. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA

    Fiona H. Crocker, Karl J. Indest & Carina M. Jung

  4. Physics Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ, 86301, USA

    Hillary Eaton

  5. School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Jonathan D. Istok

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  1. Mark E. Fuller
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Correspondence to Mark E. Fuller.

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Fuller, M.E., Hatzinger, P.B., Condee, C.W. et al. Laboratory evaluation of bioaugmentation for aerobic treatment of RDX in groundwater. Biodegradation 26, 77–89 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-014-9717-y

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