Treatment of MTBE-containing water and gas.

Remediation of groundwater contaminated with methyl tert. butyl ether (MTBE) involves pumping of the contaminated groundwater and stripping of MTBE from the groundwater and from the unsaturated zone. The removal of MTBE from the water and the gas is currently carried out by activated carbon. However, because of the poor sorption of MTBE to activated carbon this process is expensive. The aim of the project is to study the feasibility of applying biodegradation of MTBE. A culture able to degrade MTBE as the primary substrate is available. Todate, it has been shown that it is possible to grow the culture in a biofilm system and that efficient purification of a MTBE-containing gas can be obtained. The kinetis of degradation is under investigation.