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| - Widespread Potential for MicrobialMTBE Degradation in Surface-WaterSediments
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| - Microorganisms indigenous to stream and lake bedsediments, collected from 11 sites throughout the UnitedStates, demonstrated significant mineralization of the fueloxygenate, methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Mineralizationof [U-14C]MTBE to 14CO2 ranged from 15 to 66% over 50 daysand did not differ significantly between sedimentscollected from MTBE contaminated sites and from siteswith no history of MTBE exposure. This result suggests thateven the microbial communities indigenous to newlycontaminated surface water systems will exhibit someinnate ability to attenuate MTBE under aerobic conditions.The magnitude of MTBE mineralization was related tothe sediment grain size distribution. A pronounced, inversecorrelation (p< 0.001; r 2 = 0.73) was observed betweenthe final recovery of 14CO2 and the percentage contentof silt and clay sized grains (grain diameter < 0.125 mm).The results of this study indicate that the microorganismsthat inhabit the bed sediments of streams and lakes candegrade MTBE efficiently and that this capability is widespreadin the environment. Thus aerobic bed sediment microbialprocesses may provide a significant environmental sink forMTBE in surface water systems throughout the UnitedStates and may contribute to the reported transience ofMTBE in some surface waters.
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