Anaerobic biodegradation of known and potential gasoline oxygenates in the terrestrial subsurface

Suflita, Joseph M.; Mormile, Melanie R.

doi:10.1021/es00042a022

Cited by 178 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…During the entire experiment, including the addition of organic phase, the vial was kept upside down to prevent contact of the organic phase with the Teflon-lined septum and with the needle during sampling. After 1, 2, and 4 h of stirring, 100 µL of aqueous phase was removed, and the 13 C/ 12 C ratio of dissolved MTBE was determined using the method described below. For the organic phase/gas-phase partitioning experiment, 2 mL of organic phase mixture was dispensed into a 22 mL vial, which had been filled with helium and closed with an open screw cap containing a Teflon-lined septum.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The vial was kept under static conditions. After 1, 2, and 4 h, 425 µL of gas phase was removed, and the 13 C/ 12 C ratio of MTBE was determined using a method described by Hunkeler and Aravena (32). For aqueous phase/gas-phase partitioning, MTBE was added to 125 mL bottles (150 mg/L) which had been completed filled with organic-free water and closed with open screw caps containing Teflon-lined septa.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since MTBE frequently migrates over long distances and degradation rates may be low, it is difficult to assess biodegradation based on concentrations or using a mass balance approach. Furthermore, occurrence of TBA, the most stable intermediate product, may not be a reliable indicator for biodegradation of MTBE since biodegradation can occur without significant TBA accumulation (23) or TBA may already be present in the gasoline (13). A better means to obtain evidence of in situ MTBE degradation would be of great value for the investigation of the fate of MTBE in the environment and to evaluate the performance of biodegradation-based remediation technologies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring Biodegradation of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Using Compound-Specific Carbon Isotope Analysis

Hunkeler

Butler

Aravena

et al. 2001

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), the most common gasoline oxygenate, is frequently detected in surface water and groundwater. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of compound-specific isotope analysis to assess in situ biodegradation of MTBE in groundwater. For that purpose, the effect of relevant physical and biological processes on carbon isotope ratios of MTBE was evaluated in laboratory studies. Carbon isotope fractionation during organic phase/gas-phase partitioning (0.50 ( 0.15‰), aqueous phase/gas-phase partitioning (0.17 ( 0.05‰), and organic phase/aqueous-phase partitioning (0.18 ( 0.24‰) was small in comparison to carbon isotope fractionation measured during biodegradation of MTBE in microcosms based on aquifer sediments of the Borden site. In experiments with MTBE as the only substrate and a cometabolic experiment with 3-methypentane as primary substrate, MTBE became enriched in 13 C by 5.1 to 6.9‰ after 95 to 97% degradation. For both experiments, similar isotopic enrichment factors were obtained (-1.52 ( 0.06 to -1.97 ( 0.05‰). Biodegradation of TBA, which accumulated transiently in the cometabolic microcosms, was also accompanied by carbon isotope fractionation, with an isotopic enrichment factor of -4.21 ( 0.07‰. This study suggests that carbon isotope analysis is a potential tool to trace in situ biodegradation of MTBE and TBA and thus to better understand the fate of these contaminants in the environment.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring Biodegradation of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Using Compound-Specific Carbon Isotope Analysis

Hunkeler

Butler

Aravena

et al. 2001

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…These bacteria can grow on MTBE as the sole carbon under aerobic conditions, indicating the potential of bacteria existing in petroleum-contaminated sites to degrade MTBE. These bacteria were not detected in the dominant bands of DGGE, which could be related to the recalcitrance of MTBE to both aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation owing to the stability of the ether bond and the hindrance of the branched tert-butyl group (Sulfita and Mormile, 1993;Salanitro et al, 1994;Volpe et al, 2009).…”

Section: Isolation Of Mtbe-degrading Bacteria From the Gasoline Contamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Intrinsic Bioremediation of Methyl Tert-butyl Ether (MTBE) Contaminated Groundwater

Chen¹,

Tien²,

Zhan³

2014

Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment

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This paper reported the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and the culture-based method in the intrinsic bioremediation study at a petroleum contaminated site. The study showed that phenol hydroxylase gene was detected in groundwater contaminated with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene isomers (BTEX) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). This indicated that intrinsic bioremediation occurred at the site. DGGE analyses revealed that the petroleum-hydrocarbon plume caused the variation in microbial communities. MTBE degraders including Pseudomonas sp. NKNU01, Bacillus sp. NKNU01, Klebsiella sp. NKNU01, Enterobacter sp. NKNU01, and Enterobacter sp. NKNU02 were isolated from the contaminated groundwater using the cultured-based method. Among these five strains, Enterobacter sp. NKNU02 is the most effective stain at degrading MTBE without the addition of pentane. The MTBE biodegradation experiment indicated that the isolated bacteria were affected by propane. Biodegradation of MTBE was decreased but not totally inhibited in the mixtures of BTEX. Enterobacter sp. NKNU02 degraded about 60% of MTBE in the bioreactor study. Tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), acetic acid, 2-propanol, and propenoic acid were detected using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry during MTBE degraded by the rest cells of Enterobacter sp. NKNU02. The effectiveness of bioremediation of MTBE was assessed for potential field-scale application.

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“…The biodegradability of MTBE is generally presumed to be significantly less than the degradability of other gasoline constituents. Initial studies indicate that biodegradation of MTBE in the environment is slow (Borden et al, 1997;Mormile et al, 1994;Suflita and Mormile, 1993).…”

Section: -3 Volume Twomentioning

confidence: 99%

An Experimental Study of Phytoremediation of Methyl-tert-butyl Ether (MTBE) in Groundwater

Zhang¹,

Davis²,

Erickson³

1999

Journal of Hazardous Substance Research

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The feasibility of phytoremediation of groundwater contamination with methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was examined experimentally using a six-channel soil system with or without plants. Two bacterial strains capable of degrading MTBE were each added to two out of six channels. A solution of 0.84 mM MTBE was continuously fed into each channel at 1 L/day until a stable MTBE concentration level in the groundwater was established; then the feeding was switched back to distilled water. The channel groundwater effluent MTBE concentration and the soil gas MTBE fluxes were monitored from the beginning of the MTBE solution feeding until no MTBE was detected. Integration of the gas flux data indicated that the four vegetated channels with introduced bacteria had less MTBE at the soil surface than channel 3 which was vegetated but without any introduced bacteria. The total mass balance for MTBE showed that the fractions of MTBE that were not recovered in the planted channels were significantly higher than in the unplanted channel. Analysis of the experimental data indicates that, due to the presence of the plants, MTBE might have been undergoing enhanced rhizosphere biodegradation. ABSTRACT

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Anaerobic biodegradation of known and potential gasoline oxygenates in the terrestrial subsurface

Cited by 178 publications

References 14 publications

Monitoring Biodegradation of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Using Compound-Specific Carbon Isotope Analysis

Monitoring Biodegradation of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Using Compound-Specific Carbon Isotope Analysis

Evaluation of Intrinsic Bioremediation of Methyl Tert-butyl Ether (MTBE) Contaminated Groundwater

An Experimental Study of Phytoremediation of Methyl-tert-butyl Ether (MTBE) in Groundwater

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