Ecologically safe destruction of the detoxification products of mustard-lewisite mixtures from the Russian chemical stockpile

An integrated chemical/biological method has been developed to create an en vironmentally safe technology for the destruction of the detoxification pro ducts of mustard-lewisite mixtures (MLM) from the Russian Stockpile of Chem ical Warfare (CW) Agents. This method includes three sequential steps: (1) detoxification by alkaline hydrolysis, (2) electrochemical treatment of det oxification products including electrolysis and electrocoagulation for remo ving arsenic salts and for converting all organic components to bioutilized substances, and (3) bioutilization of the electrochemical products by a se lected microbial association. This integrated system makes it possible to a chieve an environmentally safe destruction of MLM. The approach provided fo r an effective engineering process that was able to biodegrade the organic materials resulting from the alkaline hydrolysis of sulfur mustard-lewisite mixtures once toxic arsenate was removed by electrochemical means. (C) 200 0 Society of Chemical Industry.