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

✍ Scribed by Alexander M Boronin; Inna T Ermakova; Valentin G Sakharovsky; Galina M Grechkina; Ivan I Starovoitov; Robin L Autenrieth; James R Wild

• Book ID: 101265281
• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 115 KB
• Volume: 75
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0268-2575
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4660(200001)75:1<82::aid-jctb178>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

An integrated chemical/biological method has been developed to create an environmentally safe technology for the destruction of the detoxi®cation products of mustard±lewisite mixtures (MLM) from the Russian Stockpile of Chemical Warfare (CW) Agents. This method includes three sequential steps: (1) detoxi®cation by alkaline hydrolysis, (2) electrochemical treatment of detoxi®cation products including electrolysis and electrocoagulation for removing arsenic salts and for converting all organic components to bioutilized substances, and (3) bioutilization of the electrochemical products by a selected microbial association. This integrated system makes it possible to achieve an environmentally safe destruction of MLM. The approach provided for 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.