title: Determination of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluene biodegradation limits.
abstract: This study was carried out to explore the lowest achievable dinitrotoluene (DNT) isomer concentrations that would support sustained growth of DNT degrading microorganisms under an aerobic condition. Studies were conducted using suspended (chemostat) and attached growth (column) systems. The biodegradation limits for 2,4-dinitrotoluene chemostat and column system were 0.054 ± 0.005 and 0.057 ± 0.008 μM, respectively, and for 2,6-dinitrotoluene, the limits for chemostat and column system were 0.039 ± 0.005 and 0.026 ± 0.013 μM, respectively. The biodegradation limits determined in this study are much lower than the regulatory requirements, inferring that bacterial ability to metabolize DNT does not preclude applications of bioremediation (including natural attenuation) for DNT contaminated media.
authors.affiliation: Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Atlanta, GA 30332-0355, USA.
authors.forename: Sungsoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sachiyo T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Mukherji
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; C016403:2,4-dinitrotoluene; C023514:2,6-dinitrotoluene