WORK PLANS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

10/1211998 16:03 9165350207 APEX ENViROTECH field. Regenesis has since gathered evidence that supports the concept that in a mixed contaminant system BTEX is consumed preferentially to MTBE. This is not a competitive inhibition—In that different enzyme systems are responsible for the metabolism of each compound—but rather is a pattern of preferential consumption (BTEX> MTBE). It can be clearly seen in Figures 2 and 3 that there is a lag in degradation of MTBE relative to BTEX. In Figure 1, where BTEX is almost non-existent, MTBE is readily degraded from the outset, Follow-up laboratory experiments further clarified the issue. using microbial isolates that use MTBE as a sola carbon source, Regenesis has shown the metabolism of MBE can be largely inhibited by the addition of STEX - causing it to fall behind in the preferential sequence of degradation, Furthermore, MTBE metabolism can be predictably modulated by the BTEX, such that when BTEX is removed from the culture MTBE degradation resumes. Regenesis is now in the process of funding more involved column bioreactor studies which will elucidate the inhibition of MTBE by background hydrocarbons. More importantly, this work will establish a mass balance for the process and identify other important co-factors that may be operating In the system. The First experiments will correlate an increase in CO2 with a decrease In MTBE to establish that bioremediation is the primary mechanism of removal. Subsequent experiments will employ radioactively labeled MTBE and follow the appearance of various intermediates. Figure 1 Reduction of MTBE in an ORC Well ,CA Sft WWM vd lour STEX lovils 111Fx 75 --------------------------------------- 4 m 0 3 1e 4 - - ---------------------- Q -- -- --- ----- 2 aL 25 - ------.- -------------------- t f � a a o 0 20 40 68 '80 400 1120 -140 Qat Figure 2