Biodegradation of Hydrolyzed Mustard from an Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) Projectile Washout Study
Abstract
Prior Demonstration (Demo) I and Engineering Design Study (EDS) I testing conducted by the PM, Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment, validated biological treatment of a mixture of HD and tetrytol hydrolysates using Honeywell Immobilized Cell Bioreactor (ICB). The HD hydrolysate used in the previous tests was made from neat agent obtained from ton containers. Because the Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD), Pueblo, CO, stockpile consists of assembled munitions that contain liquid agent and solid material (heel), the hydrolysate used in prior ICB testing was not fully representative of the hydrolysate that will be produced at Pueblo. Therefore, ICB testing using hydrolysate prepared with liquid agent and heel from actual munitions was planned and executed and is the subject of this report. The ability for a biological culture to degrade the hydrolyzed HD agent from a chemical was tested. The ability of the culture to degrade hydrolysate containing heel material representative of what can be expected from munitions washout was compared directly to performance of a bacterial culture degrading hydrolysate with no heel material. The study shows that hydrolyzed HD agent removed from a projectile washout study can be effectively degraded in a bioreactor system and that there was no effect from the hydrolyzed heel material during the 60-day steady-state period of the study. Performance of the laboratory scale ICB was comparable to earlier testing with the pilot-scale reactor.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA423644
Entities
People
- Laurie Fazekas-carey
- Mark A. Guelta
Organizations
- Edgewood Chemical Biological Center