Combining SBR systems for chemical and biological treatment: the destruction of the nerve agent VX.
The US Army is pilot testing the neutralization of VX nerve agent stockpiled at Newport, Indiana using caustic hydrolysis in a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). The resulting hydrolysate was tested at the bench-scale for treatment with activated sludge biodegradation in two distinct studies, one in the SBR and another, in the PACT process. The feed to both biological systems was pretreated to enhance the biodegradability of the hydrolysis products. Both biodegradation studies demonstrated that the hydrolysate could easily meet the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty and US environmental regulations following pretreatment.
Irvine
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RL
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
Haraburda
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SS
Galbis-Reig
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C
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007196:Indiana; D007700:Kinetics; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D009946:Organothiophosphorus Compounds; C009680:VX-agent