| abstract |
Butane-utilizing bacteria are used to degrade pollutants comprising methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). In-situ or ex-situ techniques may be used to reduce or eliminate MTBE pollutants from liquid, gas and solid sources. In a preferred embodiment, MTBE concentrations in various aqueous environments are reduced by contacting a contaminated water source with butane-utilizing bacteria in the presence of butane and oxygen to degrade the MTBE by cometabolism or direct metabolism. Suitable butane-utilizing bacteria include Pseudomonas, Variovorax, Nocardia, Chryseobacterium, Comamonas, Acidovorax, Rhodococcus, Aureobacterium, Micrococcus, Aeromonas, Stenotrophomonas, Sphingobacterium, Shewanella, Phyllobacterium, Clavibacter, Alcaligenes, Gordona, Corynebacterium and Cytophaga. |