ANAEROBIC BIODEGRADATION OF EXPLOSIVES AND RELATED-COMPOUNDS BY SULFATE-REDUCING AND METHANOGENIC BACTERIA - A REVIEW

In recent years, research on microbial degradation of explosives and n itroaromatic compounds has increased. Most studies of the microbial me tabolism of nitroaromatic compounds have used aerobic microorganisms. Ecological observations suggest that sulfate-reducing and methanogenic bacteria might metabolize nitroaromatic compounds under anaerobic con ditions if appropriate electron donors and electron accepters are pres ent in the environment, but this ability had not been demonstrated unt il recently Few review papers exist, and those deal mainly with aerobi c bacterial degradation of explosives; none deals with anaerobic bacte ria. In this paper we review the anaerobic metabolic processes in the degradation of explosives and nitroaromatic compounds under sulfate-re ducing and methanogenic conditions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.