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Biodegradation of Hydrolyzed Chemical Warfare Agents by Bacterial Consortia

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Enzymes in Action

Part of the book series: NATO Science Partnership Sub-Series: 1: ((ASDT,volume 33))

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Abstract

The U.S. Army has custody of chemical weapons (CW) containing nerve and blister (vesicant) agents located in eight sites in the continental United States and at Johnston Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean. The eight sites in the continental U.S. are: Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Anniston Army Depot, Alabama; Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky; Newport Army Ammunition Plant, Indiana; Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas; Pueblo Depot Activity, Colorado; Tooele Army Depot, Utah; and Umatilla Depot Activity, Oregon. The stockpile, which totals approximately 32,000 tons consists primarily of three agents, the nerve agents GB (sann) and VX, and the blister agent HD (sulfur mustard). The structures of these agents are shown in Figure 1. The agents are stored in steel 1-ton bulk containers as well as in munitions such as bombs, rockets, artillery shells, and mines. All the munitions and agents are at least 25-50 years old.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA, 21010-5424

    Joseph J. Defrank, Mark Guelta & Steven Harvey

  2. Geo-Centers, Inc., Gunpowder, Maryland, USA, 21010

    Ilona J. Fry

  3. SBR Technologies, Inc., South Bend, Indiana, USA, 46628

    James P. Earley

  4. AlliedSignal Inc., Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, 60017-5016

    F. Stephen Lupton

Authors
  1. Joseph J. Defrank
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  2. Mark Guelta
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  3. Steven Harvey
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  4. Ilona J. Fry
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  5. James P. Earley
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  6. F. Stephen Lupton
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Organic Chemistry, NSR Institute for Molecular Structure, Design and Synthesis, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Binne Zwanenburg

  2. Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Łódź, Poland

    Marian Mikołajczyk  & Piotr Kiełbasiński  & 

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Defrank, J.J., Guelta, M., Harvey, S., Fry, I.J., Earley, J.P., Lupton, F.S. (2000). Biodegradation of Hydrolyzed Chemical Warfare Agents by Bacterial Consortia. In: Zwanenburg, B., Mikołajczyk, M., Kiełbasiński, P. (eds) Enzymes in Action. NATO Science Partnership Sub-Series: 1:, vol 33. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0924-9_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0924-9_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-6696-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0924-9

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