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Risk management research and development is
conducting research on the treatment of of soils, ground water
and drinking water contaminated with Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether
(MTBE). This research is intended to improve understanding of
the physical, chemical, biological processes associated with the
fate and transport and destruction of MTBE and to evaluate and
develop more cost-effective MTBE treatment processes. Some research
also is being conducted on other oxygenates, such as ethanol.
Currently, research is focusing on natural attenuation and treatment
(particularly biotreatment) of MTBE in ground water and enhancements
of drinking water treatment technologies. Treatment studies are
being conducted at bench- and pilot/field-scale. The Laboratory
also is preparing several technical resource documents on natural
attenuation of MTBE in ground water.
MTBE Demonstration Project
The Agency has formed a workgroup to conduct field evaluations
of technologies and processes for remediating soils, groundwater,
and drinking water contaminated with MTBE. This work group is
comprised of individuals from US EPA Research and Development,
Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Water, Air and Radiation,
and Region 9 with the California Water Board and Department of
Health. Both source water and wellhead MTBE treatment technologies
will be demonstrated. For more information, see http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/mtbe/mtbedemo.htm.
Laboratory publications and web sites related
to these MTBE topic areas include:
- Summary of Workshop on MTBE, February 1-2, 2000 by Eastern
Research Group, Inc. (2001).
- Chen, C.T., A.N. Tafuri, M. Rahman, M.B. Foerst, E. Pfetzing,
and M. Taylor. (1995) Oxidation of methyl-t-butyl ether
(MTBE) using Fenton's Reagent, paper no. 95-WA91.03. Presented
at the 88th annual meeting of the Air & Waste Management Association,
San Antonio, Texas. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
- Cho, Jong Soo, Dominic DiGiulio, and John T. Wilson. "In
situ Air Injection, Soil Vacuum Extraction and Enhanced
Biodegradation: A Case Study in a JP-4 Jet Fuel Contaminated
Site," Environmental Progress, Volume 16, No. 1, pages
35 to 42, 1997.
- Cho, Jong Soo, John T. Wilson, Dominic C. DiGiulio, James
A. Vardy, and Woohee Choi. "Implementation of Natural Attenuation
at a JP-4 Jet Fuel Release After Active Remediation," Biodegradation,
Volume 8, pages 265 to 273, 1997.
- Cho, Jong Soo, and John T. Wilson. "Hydrocarbon and MTBE Removal
Rates During Natural Attenuation Application," in Natural
Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents, Petroleum Hydrocarbons
and Other Organic Compounds, Volume 1, pages 109 to 114.
Eds. Alleman, Bruce C. and Andrea Leeson, the Fifth International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium, San Diego,
California, April 19-22, 1999, Battelle Press, Columbus, Ohio.
- Hurt, Kelly, John T. Wilson, Frank Beck, and Jong Soo Cho.
"Anaerobic Biodegradation of MTBE in a Contaminated Aquifer,"
in Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents, Petroleum
Hydrocarbons and Other Organic Compounds, Volume 1, pages
103 to 108. Eds. Alleman, Bruce C. and Andrea Leeson, the
Fifth International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation
Symposium, San Diego, California, April 19-22, 1999, Battelle
Press, Columbus, Ohio.
- Wilson, Barbara H., Hai Shen, Jong Soo Cho, and James Vardy.
"Use of BIOSCREEN to Evaluate Natural Attenuation of MTBE,"
in Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents, Petroleum
Hydrocarbons and Other Organic Compounds, Volume 1, pages
115 to 120. Eds. Alleman, Bruce C. and Andrea Leeson, the
Fifth International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation
Symposium, San Diego, California, April 19-22, 1999, Battelle
Press, Columbus, Ohio.
- Wilson, John T., Jong Soo Cho, and Barbara H. Wilson. Natural
Attenuation of MTBE in the Subsurface under Methanogenic Conditions,
U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, National Risk
Management Research Laboratory, EPA/600/R-00/006 (January
2000).
- Description of ongoing research
projects at Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Research.
Visit the MTBE main web page. |
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