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Methyl t-butyl ether mineralization in surface-water sediment microcosms under denitrifying conditions
P M Bradley1, F H Chapelle, J E Landmeyer
1U.S. Geological Survey, 720 Gracern Road, Suite 129, Columbia, South Carolina 29210-7651, USA. pbradley@usgs.gov
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|April 3, 2001
Abstract:
Mineralization of [U-(14)C]methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) to (14)CO(2) without accumulation of t-butyl alcohol (TBA) was observed in surface-water sediment microcosms under denitrifying conditions. Methanogenic activity and limited transformation of MTBE to TBA were observed in the absence of denitrification. Results indicate that bed sediment microorganisms can effectively degrade MTBE to nontoxic products under denitrifying conditions.