Biodegradation of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) by a Microbial Consortium in a Continuous Up-Flow Packed-Bed Biofilm Reactor: Kinetic Study, Metabolite Identification and Toxicity Bioassays

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 12; p. e0167494
• Main Authors: Alfonso-Gordillo, Guadalupe, Flores-Ortiz, César Mateo, Morales-Barrera, Liliana, Cristiani-Urbina, Eliseo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.12.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adsorption; Aerobic biodegradation; Alcohols; Bioassays; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biofilms; Biological Assay; Biological assays; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomass; Bioreactors; Bioremediation; Butanol; Butyric acid; Carbon; Carcinogens; Chemical oxygen demand; Consortia; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Drinking water; Earth Sciences; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Efficiency; Fixed bed reactors; Gasoline; Groundwater; Identification and classification; Load distribution; Loading rate; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolites; Methyl Ethers - chemistry; Methyl Ethers - metabolism; Microbial activity; Microbial Consortia; Microorganisms; MTBE; Outdoor air quality; Oxygen; Reactors; Social Sciences; Toxicity; Trophic levels; Wastewater
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167494

This study investigated the aerobic biodegradation of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) by a microbial consortium in a continuous up-flow packed-bed biofilm reactor using tezontle stone particles as a supporting material for the biofilm. Although MTBE is toxic for microbial communities, the microbial consortium used here was able to resist MTBE loading rates up to 128.3 mg L-1 h-1, with removal efficiencies of MTBE and chemical oxygen demand (COD) higher than 90%. A linear relationship was observed between the MTBE loading rate and the MTBE removal rate, as well as between the COD loading rate and the COD removal rate, within the interval of MTBE loading rates from 11.98 to 183.71 mg L-1 h-1. The metabolic intermediate tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) was not detected in the effluent during all reactor runs, and the intermediate 2-hydroxy butyric acid (2-HIBA) was only detected at MTBE loading rates higher than 128.3 mg L-1 h-1. The results of toxicity bioassays with organisms from two different trophic levels revealed that the toxicity of the influent was significantly reduced after treatment in the packed-bed reactor. The packed-bed reactor system used in this study was highly effective for the continuous biodegradation of MTBE and is therefore a promising alternative for detoxifying MTBE-laden wastewater and groundwater.