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Electron shuttle-stimulated RDX mineralization and biological production of 4-nitro-2,4-diazabutanal (NDAB) in RDX-contaminated aquifer material

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Abstract

The potential for extracellular electron shuttles to stimulate RDX biodegradation was investigated with RDX-contaminated aquifer material. Electron shuttling compounds including anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) and soluble humic substances stimulated RDX mineralization in aquifer sediment. RDX mass-loss was similar in electron shuttle amended and donor-alone treatments; however, the concentrations of nitroso metabolites, in particular TNX, and ring cleavage products (e.g., HCHO, MEDINA, NDAB, and NH4 +) were different in shuttle-amended incubations. Nitroso metabolites accumulated in the absence of electron shuttles (i.e., acetate alone). Most notably, 40–50% of [14C]-RDX was mineralized to 14CO2 in shuttle-amended incubations. Mineralization in acetate amended or unamended incubations was less than 12% within the same time frame. The primary differences in the presence of electron shuttles were the increased production of NDAB and formaldehyde. NDAB did not further degrade, but formaldehyde was not present at final time points, suggesting that it was the mineralization precursor for Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms. RDX was reduced concurrently with Fe(III) reduction rather than nitrate or sulfate reduction. Amplified 16S rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) indicated that unique Fe(III)-reducing microbial communities (β- and γ-proteobacteria) predominated in shuttle-amended incubations. These results demonstrate that indigenous Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms in RDX-contaminated environments utilize extracellular electron shuttles to enhance RDX mineralization. Electron shuttle-mediated RDX mineralization may become an effective in situ option for contaminated environments.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Scott R. Drew of GeoSyntec Consultants for technical assistance and logistical management for field sampling and acquisition and for thoughtful discussions. We acknowledge Pam Sheehan of the Picatinny Arsenal and Paul Hatzinger of Shaw Group for aquifer material sampling and preservation. This work was supported by the Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) project number ER-1377.

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  1. Environmental Engineering and Sciences, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3221 Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory MC-250, 205 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Man Jae Kwon & Kevin T. Finneran

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Correspondence to Kevin T. Finneran.

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Kwon, M.J., Finneran, K.T. Electron shuttle-stimulated RDX mineralization and biological production of 4-nitro-2,4-diazabutanal (NDAB) in RDX-contaminated aquifer material. Biodegradation 21, 923–937 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-010-9352-1

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