Enhanced Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether Removal by Mixed Consortium: Performance and Adaptability

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is widely used as a gasoline additive with toxicity and carcinogenicity, and has caused environmental pollution worldwide. Biodegradation is a promising method for the removal of MTBE from contaminated sites. In this paper, three strains with high adaptability and diff...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied sciences 2023-02, Vol.13 (4), p.2144
Main Authors: Hua, Tingyu, Li, Shanshan, Wang, Ling, Yan, Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptability
Bacteria
Biodegradation
Bioremediation
Carbon
Carcinogenicity
Carcinogens
co-contamination
Consortia
Efficiency
Fuel additives
Gasoline
High temperature
Hydrocarbons
Metabolism
Metabolites
Metals
methyl tert-butyl ether
microbial mixed culture
MTBE
Oxidation
Soil contamination
Toxicity
Variance analysis
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds
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Summary:Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is widely used as a gasoline additive with toxicity and carcinogenicity, and has caused environmental pollution worldwide. Biodegradation is a promising method for the removal of MTBE from contaminated sites. In this paper, three strains with high adaptability and different degrading characteristics to MTBE were cultured. The kinetic models were established to systematically simulate the biodegradation of MTBE by various strains at different concentrations. Moreover, the removal of MTBE in a synergistic system containing a mixture of three pure strains was studied. The mixed consortium enhanced MTBE removal at high concentrations (30–50 mg/L), and the degradation efficiency was increased by about 20% compared to pure strains at a concentration of 30 mg/L. Further, the mixed consortium degraded MTBE nearly three times faster than any of the individual, indicating that the co-cultures of three pure cultures improved both efficiency and the rate of MTBE biodegradation. In addition, it was found that the mixed consortium effectively removed MTBE in the presence of other gasoline components, and exhibited stronger adaptability, especially at low or high temperatures. This study supports the cultivation of a mixed consortium to remediate MTBE-contaminated environments, either as a single substrate or in environments containing other gasoline components.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app13042144