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MTBE BIODEGRADATION AND BIOREMEDIATION (ROCKY GAP, MD*)
Citation:
WILSON, J. T. MTBE BIODEGRADATION AND BIOREMEDIATION (ROCKY GAP, MD*). Presented at EPA Region 3 States LUST Technical Conference, Rocky Gap, MD, November 03 - 05, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
MTBE contamination in ground water at gasoline spill sites can be treated with in situ aerobic bioremediation. All that is usually necessary is to provide sufficient oxygen to meet the oxygen demand of the fuel components in the ground water. The field scale performance of the technology is limited by mass transport considerations caused by heterogeneity in the flow field in the aquifer. As a consequence, the most reasonable expectation for reductions in MTBE concentrations is on the order of ten fold. Technologies that circulate air through the subsurface, such as air sparging and vacuum extraction, provide oxygen to support aerobic biodegradation of MTBE. As a consequence of the additional treatment provided by biodegradation, these technologies work even better for MTBE than they do for benzene.