Phytoremediation for the Containment and Treatment of Energetic and Propellant Material Releases on Testing and Training Ranges

摘要

The overall objective of the proposed research is to understand the mechanisms by which toxic energetic compounds, known to be susceptible to biodegradation, are actually detoxified in contaminated subsurface soils at DoD firing ranges by plants native to the site, either by direct uptake and transformation in plant tissues, or by microbial activity in the rhizosphere. The specific objectives of the research are to determine: (1) whether plants significantly improve biodegradation of explosives using actual soils and plants from representative sites; (2) the respective contribution of plants and soil microbes in the process; and (3) whether the aging of explosives affects the biodegradation process. Additionally, a field-scale implementation of phytoremediation was performed. The specific objectives of this field study are to: (1) determine if the implementation of phytoremediation study significantly improves the biodegradation of explosives in soil through a field study; (2) determine whether plants can significantly uptake and degrade explosives in the field; and (3) compare fate and transport processes in laboratory studies using actual soils from the site of the field study with the field demonstration results.