Rhizosphere Bacterial Degradation of RDX, Understanding and Enhancement
Abstract
Our overall goals were to identify RDX-degrading bacteria in plant rhizospheres, discover the factors that control their abundance and diversity, and develop probes that can be used in the field to detect them. We suggest that important controlling variables in determining RDX persistence in soil are carbon and nitrogen availability. This implies that soil bacteria do not effectively degrade energetic materials in situ unless they are associated with a carbon-rich environment that selects for populations active in either direct or cometabolic degradation of RDX. Further, we expected that activity of RDX-degrading bacteria would be favored by specific carbon sources in the root exudate spectrum, allowing the rhizosphere to be manipulated to enhance populations of RDX-degrading bacteria.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA619402
Entities
People
- Barbara Macgregor
- David A Stahl
- Elizabeth L Rylott
- Neil D. B. Bruce
- Stuart E. Strand
Organizations
- University of Washington