Effects of co-substrates and inhibitors on the anaerobic O-demethylation of methyl <Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butyl ether (MTBE) |
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Authors: | Laura K G Youngster Piyapawn Somsamak Max M Häggblom |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ, USA;(2) Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand |
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Abstract: | Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination is widespread in aquifers near urban areas around the world. Since this synthetic fuel oxygenate
is resistant to most physical methods of treating fuel-contaminated water, biodegradation may be a useful means of remediation.
Currently, information on anaerobic MTBE degradation is scarce. Depletion has been observed in soil and sediment microcosms
from a variety of locations and under several redox conditions, but the responsible organisms are unknown. We are studying
anaerobic consortia, enriched from contaminated sediments for MTBE-utilizing microorganisms for over a decade. MTBE degradation
occurred in the presence of other fuel components and was not affected by toluene, benzene, ethanol, methanol, or gasoline.
Many aryl O-methyl ethers, such as syringic acid, that are O-demethylated by acetogenic bacteria, were also O-demethylated
by the MTBE-utilizing enrichment cultures. The addition of these compounds as co-substrates increased the rate of MTBE degradation,
offering a potentially useful method of stimulating the MTBE degradation rate in situ. Propyl iodide caused light-reversible
inhibition of MTBE degradation, suggesting that the MTBE degradation process is corrinoid dependent. The anaerobic MTBE degradation
process was not directly coupled to methanogenesis or sulfidogenesis and was inhibited by the bactericidal antibiotic, rifampicin.
These results suggest that MTBE degradation is mediated by acetogenic bacteria. |
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Keywords: | Methyl tert-butyl ether Fuel oxygenates Gasoline Bioremediation Anaerobic degradation |
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