The impact of groundwater quality on the removal of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) using advanced oxidation technology

In this study, the removal of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) from contaminated groundwater using advanced oxidation technology was investigated. The UV/H2O2 treatment process was applied to remove MTBE from two Saudi groundwater sources that have different quality characteristics with regard to their contents of inorganic species such as chloride, bromide, sulfates and alkalinity. MTBE was spiked into water samples collected from the two sources to a concentration level of about 250 μg/L. A 500 mL bench-scale forced-liquid circulation photoreactor was used to conduct the experiments. Two different UV lamps were utilized: 15 Watt low pressure (LP) and 150 Watt medium pressure (MP). Results of the study showed that the UV/H₂O₂ process removed more than 90% of MTBE in 20 minutes when the MP lamp was used at an MTBE/H₂O₂ molar ratio of 1:200. The results also showed that groundwater sources with higher levels of radical scavengers such as alkalinity, bromide, nitrate and sulfate showed lower rate of MTBE removal.