Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: MTBE Removal From Drinking Water
EPA Contract Number: 68D01014Title: MTBE Removal From Drinking Water
Investigators: Bower, John
Small Business: Compact Membrane Systems Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: April 1, 2001 through September 1, 2001
Project Amount: $70,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Water and Wastewater , Watersheds , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is the oxygenate of choice in gasoline and other fuels as mandated by the 1990 Clean Air Act in ozone and carbon monoxide nonattainment areas. Despite federal and state programs to improve handling of gasoline and other fuels in pipelines, underground and above-ground storage tanks, and other transport modes, gasoline spills and leaks are a relatively common occurrence. As a result, MTBE is the second-most frequently detected volatile organic compound (VOC) in shallow groundwater.There is concern that MTBE can have deleterious health effects and may cause ecological damage. Drinking water and groundwater supplies need to be treated for MTBE to protect the general health of the population. EPA recently has proposed the removal of MTBE from fuels to help reduce the existing problems in water due to MTBE. Many state regulators are proposing stricter low levels of MTBE in drinking water and actively advocating MTBE treatment technologies. The existing technologies for treating MTBE in water are not efficient and are not easily scalable for different MTBE concentrations.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Compact Membrane Systems, Inc., proposed a novel synergistic technology to destroy MTBE into harmless carbon dioxide and water. The technology is ideal for small-scale operations, either as a stand-alone or an integrated system. The main objective of the program was to demonstrate the synergy between the two main components involved in the degradation of MTBE, studying various parameters to identify parameters for optimization and demonstrate the ruggedness of the proposed technology. These objectives were met during the program period, and the results are encouraging.Conclusions:
Preliminary results indicate the success of the proposed technology, which was demonstrated to effectively degrade MTBE in water at concentration levels ranging from 50-600 ppmv.Supplemental Keywords:
water treatment, drinking water, groundwater, surface water, MTBE, carbon dioxide, engineering, chemistry., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water, Toxics, Ecosystem Protection, Chemistry, Contaminant Candidate List, Environmental Chemistry, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, exploratory research environmental biology, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecological Effects - Human Health, air toxics, Drinking Water, Environmental Engineering, gasoline, Safe Drinking Water, treatment, water quality, stratospheric ozone, MTBE, treatment plants, contaminant removal, chemical contaminants, water treatment, drinking water contaminants, groundwater, exposure, ecological exposure, human health effects, surface water, alternative disinfection methods, exposure and effectsSBIR Phase II:
MTBE Removal From Drinking Water | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.