Anaerobic biotransformation of fuel oxygenates under sulfate-reducing conditions

doi:10.1111/j.1574-6941.2001.tb00873.x

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Wiley InterScience

FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Volume 37 Issue 3, Pages 259 - 264

Published Online: 5 Jan 2006

Published on behalf of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies

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Anaerobic biotransformation of fuel oxygenates under sulfate-reducing conditions

Piyapawn Somsamak ^a, ^b , Robert M. Cowan ^b , Max M. Häggblom ^a, *

^a Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8125, USA ^b Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 (732) 932-9763 ext 326; Fax: +1 (732) 932-8965; E-mail: haggblom@aesop.rutgers.edu

KEYWORDS

Methyl tert-butyl ether • tert-Alkyl ether • Anaerobic transformation • Sulfate reduction

ABSTRACT

The anaerobic biotransformation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), and methyl tert-amyl ether (TAME) was evaluated under different anoxic electron-accepting conditions. Enrichments were established with a polluted estuarine sediment inoculum under conditions promoting denitrification, sulfate reduction, Fe(III) reduction, or methanogenesis. Complete loss of MTBE and TAME was observed under sulfate-reducing conditions, concomitant with the reduction of sulfate. A stoichiometric amount of tert-butyl alcohol and tert-amyl alcohol accumulated indicating that O-demethylation was the initial step in MTBE and TAME biodegradation under sulfate-reducing conditions. No transformation of MTBE or TAME was observed under the other electron-accepting conditions over 3 years. Under all conditions tested, there was no biotic loss of ETBE observed. MTBE and TAME were depleted upon refeeding the sulfate-reducing cultures. This study definitely demonstrates the anaerobic biodegradability of MTBE and TAME under sulfate-reducing conditions.

Received 31 May 2001, Revised 25 July 2001, Accepted 25 July 2001

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)

10.1111/j.1574-6941.2001.tb00873.x About DOI