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ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESS TECHNOLOGY (ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION/OZONE TREATMENT) FOR REMOVAL OF METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER (MTBE) IN GROUND WATER SUPPLIES.
Citation:
PATTERSON, C. L., R. HAUGHT, J. A. GOODRICH, K. N. KIDD, F. CADENA, AND R. SINAH. ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESS TECHNOLOGY (ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION/OZONE TREATMENT) FOR REMOVAL OF METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER (MTBE) IN GROUND WATER SUPPLIES. . Presented at 2006 Annual Conference International Ozone Association - Pan American Group, Arlington, TX, September 17 - 20, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development in Cincinnati, Ohio has been testing and evaluating MTBE removal in dechlorinated tap water using three oxidant combinations: hydrogen peroxide/ozone, ultraviolet irradiation (UV)/ozone, and UV/ozone/hydrogen peroxide. Pilot-scale studies (3 gallons/minute flow at 20° C) conducted on Cincinnati tap water spiked with 300 µg/L MTBE showed that UV/ozone treatment removed 98% of the MTBE from tap water (at 254 nm UV, 5.8 mg/L dissolved ozone). Based on the results from these pilot-scale studies, EPA’s Water Quality Management Branch fabricated a field-scale UV/ozone treatment system with iron removal and water softening for studies on small groundwater systems contaminated with drinking water concentrations of MTBE. The treatment systems were housed in a field trailer with a feed tank and a submersible pump for studies on groundwater wells. In collaboration with EPA Region 2 and New Mexico State University, EPA located a well contaminated with MTBE in Roswell, New Mexico. EPA plans to conduct a study in the summer of 2006 to determine the effectiveness of the UV/ozone treatment system for oxidation of MTBE and MTBE byproducts. EPA also plans to compare the costs of UV/ozone treatment with GAC adsorption. Results from the pilot-scale and field-scale MTBE studies will be summarized and presented to highlight treatment options for small drinking water systems.