The environmental fate and biological effects of the fuel oxygenate methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is of concern because, among other factors, it is highly soluble in water. Thus ground and surface water contamination may occur through accidental exposures and spills. Little is known about the biodegradability and ecotoxicity of MTBE. We found that MTBE added to carbon-limited microbial con...

This study investigated the aerobic biodegradation of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) by a microbial consortium in a continuous up-flow packed-bed biofilm reactor using tezontle stone particles as a supporting material for the biofilm. Although MTBE is toxic for microbial communities, the microbial consortium used here was able to resist MTBE loading rates up to 128.3 mg L-1 h-1, with remova...

One of the major drawbacks of IC engines is low efficiency and pollution resulting from incomplete combustion. In order to improve the emission properties and performance an oxygenated additive MTBE (Methyl tertiary butyl ether), is blended with gasoline. A four cylinder, 1817 cc engine was used for analysing both emission and performance characteristics. Tests were carried out with 100% pure g...

A Concise Background on Fuel Oxygenates Fuel oxygenates are oxygencontaining compounds (e.g., ethers and alcohols) that are added to gasoline either to boost the octane rating, to make the fuel burn cleaner by increasing the oxygen content, or to achieve a combination of both. The most commonly used oxygenates are methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethanol. Other oxygenates include tertiary...

Aggregate (multiple pathway) exposures to methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in air and water occur via dermal, inhalation, and oral routes. Previously, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models have been used to quantify the kinetic behavior of MTBE and its primary metabolite, tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA), from inhalation exposures. However, the contribution of dermal and oral exposu...

Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was measured in air samples collected at hourly intervals near Blodgett Forest Research Station on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, California, in July 1997, October 1998, and June through September 1999. Mixing ratios ranged from below the detection limit (< approximately 0.01 ppbv) to 0.5 ppbv, but were generally less than 0.3 ppbv. At these mixing ra...

Since groundwaters are a major source of drinking water, their pollution with organic contaminants such as methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is a very significant issue. Hence, this research investigated the photocatalytic degradation of MTBE in an aqueous solution of TiO2-ZnO-CoO nanoparticle under UV irradiation. In order to optimize photocatalytic degradation, response surface methodology w...

A widely used gasoline additive, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), has been controversial, in part because of concerns about potential inhalation health effects and more recently because of added concerns about water contamination. Although many of the issues related to MTBE have not been fully resolved, several apparent paradoxes can be discerned, including the fact that something intended t...

mtbe (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) is an oxygenated organic matter which is widely used nowadays in some countries in unleaded gasoline. mtbe is a toxic substance which is absorbed quickly on water and soil and is one of the most important pollutants in soils and groundwater resources. in order to remove mtbe from the soil, using different experimental methods, determining reliable methods for ...

Tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) is commonly found as an impurity in methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) added to gasoline. Frequent observations of high TBA, and especially rising TBA/MTBE concentration ratios, in groundwater at gasoline spill sites are generally attributed to microbial conversion of MTBE to TBA. Typically overlooked is the role of volatilization in the attenuation of these chemica...