Zenker, MJ; Borden, RC; Barlaz, MA
Soils with previous exposure to methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or 1,4-dioxane were used to assess the ability of subsurface microorganisms to intrinsically biodegrade various alkyl ether oxygenates and 1,4-dioxane. Tests were conducted with MTBE and 1,4-dioxane, as well as with ethyl tert-butyl ether, tert-amyl methyl ether, diisopropyl ether, tert-butyl ether, and tetrahydrofuran. Construction of the microcosms is detailed. In the microcosms constructed with soil previously exposed to MTBE, no biodegradation of any of the ethers occurred after 1 yr of incubation, except for tert-butyl alcohol, which was completely degraded within approximately 200 d. The loss, however, was attributed to abiotic processes. In soil previously exposed to 1,4-dioxane, no 1,4-dioxane biodegradation occurred, but when tetrahydrofuran was also present, both compounds were biodegraded completely.