A brief review of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) removal from contaminated air and water

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as a gasoline additive has become a prevalent and persistent groundwater and surface water pollutant. In this study, various technologies for MTBE removal from contaminated air and water were reviewed. The results of this study can help to provide specific guidance into process selection to treat MTBE in waste air and contaminated waters. Common technologies for MTBE removal from contaminated air include: advanced oxidation, adsorption, thermal treatment, membrane and biofilter. Advanced oxidation, thermal and catalytic treatment are used when vapor phase is highly contaminated. For low contaminated air, adsorption and biofilter are useful technologies. Based on the membrane type, different membrane reactors can be used for the removal of various concentrations of MTBE. In this work, the main methods for MTBE removal from waste water (physical, chemical and biological methods) were briefly compared. The physical methods are air stripping and adsorption onto different adsorbents. In the chemical methods, MTBE is decomposed to less harmful materials as a result of a chemical reaction. Advanced oxidation with hydrogen peroxide, ozone, chloride ion, potassium permanganate and sulfuric acid is the most important chemical technology. In the biological methods, MTBE is biologically decomposed with applied microorganism. Among different methods, adsorption treatment with different porous materials such as activated carbons, zeolites and synthetic resins are highly efficient for dilute solution of MTBE, whereas air stripping and advanced oxidation technologies are suitable for MTBE removal from concentrated solutions. Biological methods are efficient for permanent water treatment.