Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Implementation of a Hyperbolic Vortex Plasma Reactor for the Removal of Micropollutants in Water
Published on: July 25, 2025
The sonolytic destruction of methyl tert-butyl ether present in contaminated groundwater
Hui-Ming Hung1, Joon-Wun Kang, Michael R Hoffmann
1Department of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract:
Ultrasonic irradiation in the presence of ozone was used to efficiently eliminate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from groundwater. The sonolytic degradation of MTBE was investigated in three different reactor configurations and frequencies: vibrating-plate reactor (VPR, 358 kHz), near-field acoustical processor (NAP 20 and 16 kHz), and radial-tube resonator (RTR. 20 kHz). The sonochemical reactors can be ordered in terms of their efficiency with respect to the degradation of MTBE in the following way: VPR > RTR > NAP. The higher elimination rates of MTBE in groundwater by combined ultrasound-ozone systems are attributed to the effective conversion of ozone to the OH radical, even in the presence of high alkalinity. Carbonate radicals, which were formed from the oxidation of bicarbonate by hydroxyl radicals, are shown to react with MTBE via a hydrogen-atom abstraction pathway. Methyl-tert-butyl ether was also rapidly eliminated from the groundwater underlying a major intemational airport by direct chemical oxidation with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ozone.
More Related Videos
05:46Identification of Pharmaceuticals in The Aquatic Environment Using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS and Elimination of Erythromycin Through Photo-Induced Degradation
Published on: August 1, 2018
09:49Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency
Published on: September 11, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Chemical Agents for Microbial Control
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes
Bioremediation
Methods of Sterilization II: Chemical Methods
Using chemical sterilization rather than heat to clean out equipment is recommended. It eradicates and removes all bacteria,...
Ethers from Alcohols: Alcohol Dehydration and Williamson Ether Synthesis
Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
E2 Reaction: Kinetics and Mechanism