(544c) Removal of Mtbe from Groundwater Using Biosparging

Abstract: A soil column set-up was designed to study the effect of MTBE removal and volatilization-to-biodegradation ratio during biosparging process in saturated soil and groundwater, with the condition of different initial MTBE concentrations. The experimental results show that the biodegradation ratios of MTBE are 23.21% and 12.97% in 50mg/l and 100mg/l MTBE concentration, respectively. It was the volatilization that controlled the dominant removal mechanism at higher contaminant concentrations. Similar masses of MTBE were degraded in both concentration: 25.74 mg and 28.75 mg. The rates of biodegradation that were observed during biosparging testing were proved independent of initial MTBE concentrations selected for this research.

Keywords: biosparging (BS), MTBE, saturated soil, groundwater, remediation