Oxygenated Fuel -- Laurel Bay, South Carolina Site

Ground-water at the Laurel Bay Site discharges to this concrete-lined drainage ditch where highly efficient biodegradation takes place in the sediments under the ditch.

Project Bibliography

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is just one of the hundreds of compounds in gasoline that we pump into cars across this Nation every day. However, MTBE can comprise up to 15% by volume of gasoline and is highly soluble in water. As such, releases of gasoline containing MTBE to ground-water systems at leaky underground storage tank (LUST) sites are often characterized by MTBE concentrations that are considerably higher than those of either benzene or toluene, the most soluble aromatic hydrocarbons in gasoline (each about 1 - 2% of gasoline). As a result of this higher solubility and volume, plumes of MTBE contamination in some ground-water systems can often be over 1,000 ft long.

Since 1993, a team of USGS researchers have examined the natural attenuation and fate of MTBE from this spill with emphasis on:

• Comparing the transport and fate of MTBE with the most mobile aromatic petroleum hydrocarbon (benzene);
• Determining if the biodegradation of MTBE leads to the production of intermediate breakdown compounds, such as tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA);
• Evaluating behavior under oxic and anoxic conditions, including naturally occurring, hydrologic redox interfaces, such as where anoxic ground water containing MTBE discharges to oxic surface-water systems;
• Designing artificially engineered redox interfaces, by injecting oxygen reactive compounds to anoxic aquifers containing MTBE;
• Characterizing transport and natural loss of MTBE vapors through the unsaturated zone; and
• Understanding the potential for trees growing above an MTBE plume (using this gasoline-contaminated ground water as a source of transpirational water) to remediate MTBE plumes.

The knowledge gained at the Laurel Bay site has been tested at MTBE contamination sites across the Nation.

A leaking underground storage tank at the Laurel Bay site was located behind the gasoline station to the far right, and the oak trees.

Overview of Research Accomplishments

• MTBE Fate Relative to Benzene
• MTBE and the Potential Production of TBA
• MTBE Fate at Natural Oxic/Anoxic Interfaces
• MTBE Fate at Artificial Oxic/Anoxic Interfaces
• MTBE Fate in Unsaturated Zone
• MTBE Fate in Trees

Related Headlines

• Challenging a Paradigm: MTBE Shown to Degrade to TBA Without Microorganisms
• Microorganisms Degrade MTBE Even at Winter Ground-Water Temperatures
• Predicting Plume Growth Rates - A Simple Method for Calculating Growth Rates of Petroleum Plumes
• Using Oxygen to Enhance Biodegradation of Contaminants – Lessons Learned
• USGS Scientists Contribute to the Landmark "Treatise on Geochemistry"
• Software Provides Estimates of How Long it Will Take for Remediation Efforts to Achieve Their Goals
• Creating Oxic Ground-Water Conditions to Clean Up MTBE Contamination
• MTBE Can Degrade Naturally Without Oxygen
• MTBE Biodegrades Naturally in Stream Sediments
• Relying on Nature to Clean Up Contaminated Ground Water
• How do you Clean Up Gasoline Spills Naturally?
• Natural Attenuation of MTBE at Laurel Bay, South Carolina

Project Remediation Related Activities

• Cold-Temperature Biodegradation of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) in Ground Water, Almena Agricenter Site, Almena, Kansas
• Oxygen-Release Compound Remediation Tests
• Using Phytoremediation to Control Fuel Oxygenate Plumes in Northern Climates

More Information

• Project Bibliography
• Project Photo Gallery
• Abstracts from Selected Meetings/Conferences
• Laurel Bay Research Team
• For additional information about the Laurel Bay Research Site please send e-mail to the project leader Jim Landmeyer at

Additional USGS Information on MTBE

• National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) National Synthesis--Volatile Organic Chemicals

Additional Research at the Laurel Bay Site

• Hydrogen isotopes

Related Research Projects

• Processes Affecting the Natural Attenuation of Gasoline in Ground Water -- Galloway Township, New Jersey
  
• Crude Oil Contamination in the Shallow Subsurface -- Bemidji, Minnesota
  
• Environmental Impacts Associated with Disposal of Saline Water Produced During Petroleum Production - Osage-Skiatook Petroleum Environmental Research Project, Oklahoma

Other Hydrocarbon Remediation Related Activates

• Vapor Extraction Optimization
• Quanitfying Natural Attenuation at the Plume Scale
• Oil Recovery Performance Monitoring
• Biodegradation of Charcoal Production Wastes

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