Efficient degradation of MtBE and other gasoline-originated compounds by means of a biological reactor of novel conception: two case studies in Italy and the USA

The presence of MtBE in groundwaters, due to its past use as an oxygenate additive to “green” gasoline, poses potential threats to human health as a possible carcinogen. As its chemical properties render it very mobile and poorly treatable by means of bioremediation, chemical oxidation, stripping, or carbon adsorption, a new, ex-situ treatment process was recently developed by the US EPA and the University of Cincinnati. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this pump-and-treat technology in actual contaminated groundwater plumes in the field in two different conditions. The technology based on the combination of aerobic degradation and a special filtration medium is simple to operate, easily meets the challenge of producing a highly polished effluent in a cost-effective fashion, compared to other processes.