Biodegradation of the nitramine explosive CL-20.
The cyclic nitramine explosive CL-20 (2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane) was examined in soil microcosms to determine whether it is biodegradable. CL-20 was incubated with a variety of soils. The explosive disappeared in all microcosms except the controls in which microbial activity had been inhibited. CL-20 was degraded most rapidly in garden soil. After 2 days of incubation, about 80% of the initial CL-20 had disappeared. A CL-20-degrading bacterial strain, Agrobacterium sp. strain JS71, was isolated from enrichment cultures containing garden soil as an inoculum, succinate as a carbon source, and CL-20 as a nitrogen source. Growth experiments revealed that strain JS71 used 3 mol of nitrogen per mol of CL-20.
Trott
Sandra
S
Air Force Research Laboratory-MLQL, Building 1117, 139 Barnes Drive, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL 32403, USA.
Nishino
Shirley F
SF
Hawari
Jalal
J
Spain
Jim C
JC
D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism
D000814:Aniline Compounds; D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C015384:nitramine