MULTISTAGE BIO-REACTOR FOR BIO-REMEDIATION OF SOILS CONTAMINATED WITH TNT AND RDX

Remediation of soils at ordnance sites contaminated with TNT and RDX pose unique scientific and engineering challenges. Bio-remediation has potential advantages over thermal processing of incineration for these explosive materials. However, the biological pathways for degredation of nitro-substituted compounds have only recently begun to be understood. The economic and effective processing of a slurry containing contaminated soil introduces further practical and mass transfer considerations. An innovative multstage bio-reactor is proposed, incorporating a high-solids fluidized bed first stage followed by a series of anaerobic and aerobic systems to further degrade the solubilized contaminants to completely mineralize the ordnance products.