Anaerobic Toxidty and Biodegradability of Hydrolysis Products of Chemical Warfare Agents

The toxicity and biodegradability of the main hydrolysis products of chemical warfare agents were invGStigatcd under methanogenic conditions, Among the tested substances, onlyMPhA does not have any toxic effect with regard to the aceticlastic methanogenic activity. The toxicity of other compounds varied between moderate (TDG, mercaptoethanol) to strong (etha-nolamine, diisobutvl ester of MPhA). Biodegradability tests showed that all the products of chemical detoxification of mustard gas (ethanolamine, ethylene glycol, IDG, mercaptoethanol) can be biomineralized under methanogenic conditions. On the contrary, phosphorus-containing compounds from the chemical detoxification of nerve warfare agents (Sarin, Soman, V(x) -gases) are quite persistent under these conditions.