U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of
the Technical Meeting Charleston South Carolina March 8-12, 1999--Volume 3
of 3--Subsurface Contamination From Point Sources, Water-Resources
Investigations Report 99-4018C
Aerobic Mineralization of MTBE and t-Butanol by Stream-Bed-Sediment
Microorganisms
Paul M. Bradley, James E. Landmeyer and Francis H. Chapelle
ABSTRACT
Microorganisms indigenous to the bed sediments of two streams receiving
seepage of gasoline-contaminated ground water demonstrated significant
mineralization of the fuel oxygenates, methyl-t-butyl ether
(MTBE) and t-butyl alcohol (TBA). Up to 73% of [U-14C]
MTBE and 84% of [U-14C] TBA were
degraded to 14CO2
under mixed aerobic/anaerobic conditions. No significant mineralization
was observed under strictly anaerobic conditions. The results indicate
that, under the mixed aerobic/anaerobic conditions characteristic
of stream bed sediments, microbial processes may provide a significant
environmental sink for MTBE and TBA delivered to surface-water bodies
by contaminated ground-water or by atmospheric deposition.
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