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Intrinsic biodegradation of MTBE and BTEX in a gasoline‐contaminated aquifer
Author(s) -
Borden Robert C.,
Daniel Robert A.,
LeBrun Louis E.,
Davis Charles W.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/97wr00014
Subject(s) - btex , ethylbenzene , gasoline , biodegradation , benzene , microcosm , toluene , environmental chemistry , xylene , aquifer , plume , environmental science , cometabolism , contamination , chemistry , bioremediation , environmental engineering , groundwater , geology , organic chemistry , geotechnical engineering , ecology , biology , physics , thermodynamics
Three‐dimensional field monitoring of a gasoline plume showed rapid decay of toluene and ethylbenzene during downgradient transport with slower decay of xylenes, benzene, and MTBE under mixed aerobic‐denitrifying conditions. Decay was most rapid near the source but slower farther downgradient. Effective first‐order decay coefficients varied from 0 to 0.0010 d −1 for MTBE, from 0.0006 to 0.0014 d −1 for benzene, from 0.0005 to 0.0063 d −1 for toluene, from 0.0008 to 0.0058 d −1 for ethylbenzene, from 0.0012 to 0.0035 d −1 for m‐, p‐xylene, and from 0.0007 to 0.0017 d −1 for o‐xylene. Laboratory microcosm studies confirmed MTBE biodegradation under aerobic conditions; however, the extent of biodegradation was limited.