Vol 21, No.

2;Feb 2014

APPLICATION OF A NEW DESIGN TREATMENT

FOR EFFICIENT REMOVAL OF METHYL
TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER (MTBE) FROM
DRINKING WATER

Ali Abdul Rahman Al Ezzia,d, Ghazi Faisal Najmuldeena,b

a
Faculty of Chemical & Natural Resources Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang
Pahang, Malaysia
d
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Technology,
Baghdad, Iraq
a
Email : Ali_Alezy65@yahoo.com
b
Email : ghazifden@ ump.edu.my

Abstract

This study presents the results of the possibility of application, and percentage of
removal of the oxygenate compound from oxygenates contaminated wastewater, with
a view to apply one of the multiple uses for this new design. The study was
conducted using the most promising widely accepted technologies for removing
organic compounds from drinking water, namely, air stripping, advanced oxidation
process (AOP), inverse fluidized, adsorption and internal loop reactor. These
technologies are evaluated as they apply specifically for removal one of the chemical
contaminants namely Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE). The experimental rig
experiments conducted at different air flow rates 7, 8 and 10 (L/min), with difference
residence time (2 -20 min) at a difference molar ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide
(H2O2) i.e. 1:10, 1:15 and 1:20. The results indicated that the optimum molar ratio
between MTBE and H2O2 is 1:20 with air flow rate at 7 L/min having the best
performance (90%) to remove MTBE from the synthetic wastewater. The major
finding that the overall design achieves the objectives by completion. The combine
system effectively removes MTBE from waste water. Hope the environmental
problem will be reduced by treating the waste water contain MTBE before it is
released to natural water sources.

Keywords: New design, stripping, inverse fluidization, adsorption, methyl tert-butyl

ether.

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Introduction

Adsorption is a simple and effective method for water and wastewater treatment. In
addition, absence of undesirable byproducts in drinking water is the advantage of
using adsorption processes for removal of MTBE (Quinlivan et al., 2005). For this
reason, the success of the adsorption technique largely depends on the development
of an efficient adsorbent. Activated carbon adsorption has been widely applied in
removing organic materials from waste water as it has a strong affinity for attaching
organic substances even at low concentration. Having a large surface area for
adsorption, granular activated carbon (GAC) is one of the best adsorbents for
removing various organic contaminants (Nishijima et al, 1997). The GAC adsorption
systems are therefore considered to apply to producing the effluent of high quality
from sewage treatment plant which can be reused for various purposes. However,
even though it has high adsorption capacity, GAC can only maintain its adsorption
for a short time after its available adsorption site becomes exhausted with adsorbed
organic pollutants (Aktas and Cecen, 2007). It is well known that GAC is also a good
support media for microbial growth. Thus, biological GAC (BGAC) with attached
biomass can effectively remove organic contaminants both by adsorption and
biodegradation (Nishijima et al, 1997; Carvalho et al, 2007; Diwani et al., 2009). The
concept of bio adsorption is that adsorption is more dominant before GAC is in full
adsorption capacity and the biodegradation play a major role after that (Hoang, 2005;
Aktas and Cecen, 2007). The GAC bio adsorption is usually applied in the
bioreactors either fixed bed or fluidized bed configurations (Aktas and Cecen, 2007) .
The previous studies showed that GAC bio adsorption systems were very efficient
(Zhao et al., 1999; Maloney et al, 2002; Loh and Ranganath, 2005; Persson et al.,
2005; Hoa et al., 2008) due to their simultaneous adsorption of non-biodegradable
matter and oxidation of biodegradable contaminants in a single reactor .Oxidation is
defined as the transfer of one or more electrons from an electron donor (reductant) to
an electron acceptor (oxidant), which has a higher affinity for electrons. Oxidation
reactions that produce radicals tend to be followed by additional oxidation reactions
between the radical oxidants and other reactants (both organic and inorganic) until
thermodynamically stable oxidation products are formed The most powerful oxidants
are fluorine, hydroxyl radicals ( OH), ozone, and chlorine with oxidation potentials
of 2.85, 2.70, 2.07 and 1.49 electron volts, respectively (Dorfman and Adams, 1973).
The end products of complete oxidation (i.e., mineralization) of organic compounds
such as MTBE or benzene are carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). AOPs involve
the two stages of oxidation discussed above: 1) the formation of strong oxidants (e.g.,
hydroxyl radicals) and 2) the reaction of these oxidants with organic contaminants in
water. However, the term advanced oxidation a process refers specifically to
processes in which oxidation of organic contaminants occurs primarily through
reactions with hydroxyl radicals (Glaze et al., 1987).
Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is a fuel additive used as a replacement for
lead and to promote combustion efficiency to reduce air pollution (Squillace et al.,

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1996) It was rst used in the United States in the late 1970s and has since become
the oxygenate of choice and supply considerations (Keller et al., 1998 ). By 1998,
MTBE has become the fourth highest produced organic chemical in the United
States (Chemical Industry Statistical Handbook., 1999). The presence of MTBE in
drinking water sources presents major problemsWhile inhalation of MTBE in high
concentrations has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animal, the Agency
concluded in 1997. Significant contamination is increasingly being detected in
groundwater and surface water used for drinking water due to the many years MTBE
has been used and as a result of its particular properties of persistence and high
mobility in the environment. MTBE has since been classified as a potential human
carcinogen in higher doses and will need to be replaced by environmentally friendly
alternatives in the future.
MTBE is mobile and persistent in the environment due to its high water
solubility, low Henrys law constant and relative bio recalcitrance under common
conditions. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) has been frequently detected in
groundwater (Baehr et al., 1999; Klinger et al., 2002; Schmidt et al., 2004; Squillace
et al., 1996). MTBE treated by conventional techniques in water treatment. Recent
developments suggest that synthetic resin sorbents may be economically competitive
with other more established treatment technologies (air stripping, advanced oxidation
processes, and granular activated carbon) for MTBE removal (Flores et al., 2000).
Dealing with the pollution currently created by MTBE, however, remains
problematic. Current technologies, including ozonation, microbiological methods,
and traditional activated carbon filtration, are not sufficiently able to remove MTBE
or the more recent ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) during wastewater or drinking
water treatment processes. In the present work, a new design of combined stripping,
oxidation, reverse fluidized, and internal loop reactor system (SOIAAI) is introduced
to remove (MTBE) pollutants from drinking water. Several important parameters
have been investigated such as the molar ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide, air
flow rate, and residence time. The aim of this investigation was to check the
feasibility of using a new design of a combined system of stripping, oxidation,
inverse fluidized, adsorption and internal loop reactor for the removal of pollutants
from wastewater.

2. Methodology

2.1. Materials

The following chemicals were used:

(a) Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) pollutants. MTBE (C5H12O with a molecular
weight = 88.15) with a purity greater than 99.8% dissolve in the pure water to
produce synthetic wastewater. MTBE supplied by chemical material store in
the laboratory of (UMP) was employed as adsorbate.

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(b) Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as oxidation agent with 30% concentration in

volume/volume. H2O2 supplied by Wellmex Sdn. Bhd. The company and
made in Thailand.
(c) Granular activated carbon (GAC) as adsorbent is having a particle size, 18-30
mesh fraction, particle density, 0.69 g/cm3 and density, 1.17 g/cm3. GAC
supplied by Hamburg.

2.2. Experimental set-up

The main design of the trio-effect unit is shown in the Figures (1a, 1b). Generally
the system is a combination of:
1. Stripping
2. Oxidation
3. Inverse fluidization
4. Adsorption
5. Internal loop reactor
This system is designed, arranged and tested in an integrated model. Figure 2 shows
the flow diagram of the integrated system function as expected from the proposed
design.

Figure2. Flow diagram of integrated system.

This system comprises a combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift
reactor (100) having a draft tube (110) vertically extended from a centre of the reactor
(100) and an absorbent material bed (115) circumference the draft tube (110) with a
space (120) is provided at a bottom of the combination of inverse fluidized and
internal loop airlift reactor (100). The draft tube (110) has an opening at a first end
and a second end. The absorbent material bed is a granular activated carbon bed.

Figure1. Design of internal loop reactor system (SOIAAI).

To create the space (120) between the draft tube (110) and the bottom of the
combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor (100), a support
(130) is fitted on the side walls of the combination of inverse fluidized and internal
loop airlift reactor (100) such that there is a distance above the bottom of the
combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor (100).

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To a person skilled in the art, the position of the support (130) is adjustable to a
required height for the purposes to achieve a space between the draft tube (110) and
the bottom of the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor
(100). An inlet port (125) of the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop
airlift reactor (100) for an oxygenate contaminant water enters and hydrogen peroxide
into the reactor (100).
A dosing pump (P1) is used for providing hydrogen peroxide into the draft tube
(110) for mixing and reacting with the oxygenate compound in the water before the
inlet port as illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure3. Schematic diagram of experimental rig design.

During the same period, another pump (P2) is used for receiving oxygenates
contaminated water and providing oxygenates contaminated water with hydrogen
peroxide into the draft tube (110) by the inlet port. Oxygenates contaminated water,
and hydrogen peroxide are fed continuously into the combination of inverse fluidized
and internal loop airlift reactor. The mixture oxygenates contaminated water with
hydrogen peroxide is fed to the draft tube (110) by the opening of the first end (210)
in a gravity direction of the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift
reactor.
Means for introducing air (215) into the draft tube (110) of the combination of
inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor is provided to mix with the mixture
oxygenates contaminated water with hydrogen peroxide in a counter direction. In the
present study, a multi holes distributor is used for allowing compressed air to spare at
the bottom of the draft tube. Air compressor (C1) is provided to supply the required
amount of compressed air particularly nitrogen gas into the draft tube (110) by a gas
flow meter (F). The compressed air mixed with mixture oxygenates contaminated
water with hydrogen peroxide vigorously, and this resulted air stripping and chemical
oxidation processes to occur within the draft tube (110). During air stripping and
chemical oxidation processes, the mixture oxygenates contaminated water with
hydrogen peroxide is overflow from the draft tube (110) due to the compressed air in
a counter direction. The mixture oxygenates contaminated water with hydrogen
peroxide is then directed from the draft tube (110) to the absorbent material bed of
the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor via gravity force.
It is preferably that a height of the draft tube (110) is positioned relatively higher than
the absorbent material bed such that a density difference is formed between the draft
tube (110) and the absorbent material bed for circulating oxygenates contaminated
water within the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor.
With the assistance of the valves, the level of the mixture oxygenates contaminated

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water with hydrogen peroxide as well as air is maintained at a constant level within
the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor.

2.3. Experimental procedure

Synthetic wastewater was used with concentration 2 ppm of MTBE. The oxidant
agent, 100 ml of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was added to 8 liter of water at 25oC in a
feed box, and a granular activated carbon volume was 5072.5 cm3. The molar ratio
between MTBE to hydrogen peroxide was 1:20. During the experiments, During the
experiments the density gradient between the aerated water in the draft tube and the
down-comer create the liquid circulation at stable form and forcing the liquid to flow
downward into the annular space through granulated activated carbon (GAC) to
complete the adsorption process at the same time for completion the stripping and
oxidation processes which occur simultaneously also. The pump for synthetic
wastewater tank was maintained at 100% flow rate while the dosing pump for
hydrogen peroxide tank was maintained at 80% flow rate. The pressure was set
constantly at P (abs) = 2 bar. To achieve the steady state for the system, the mixture
of the synthetic wastewater, hydrogen peroxide and the air was run for two hours
before experiments were conducted. The treated wastewater was collected after 1.5
hours at an outlet port of the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift
reactor. After 1.5 hours, ten samples were collected for every 2 minutes.

Figure 4.Trio effect treatment scenario.

These samples were analysed by UV-spectrophotometer at wavelength, 340 nm. The
procedure was repeated with difference residence time at a difference molar ratio of
MTBE to hydrogen peroxide i.e. 1:10, 1:15 and 1:20 with air flow rates of 7 L/min, 8
L/min and 10 L/min and residence time of 2 -20 min respectively to investigate the
effectiveness for MTBE removal. The experiments were performed at a range of pH
between 6.5 and 7.5. The concentration of Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was
determined using UV absorbance measurements by a UV-spectrophotometer. By
varies, the initial concentrations of MTBE at 2 ppm, 1 ppm, 0.8 ppm, 0.5 ppm, 0.2
ppm to form a standard curve plotted with the R2 = 0.980. At the wavelength of
340nm, the UV absorbance data were collected. The removal efficiency of MTBE
from water was determined as follows:

E
Cin Ct 100 (1)
Cin
Where E is MTBE removal efficiency (%), Cin and Ct are the initial and residual
concentrations of MTBE, respectively in ppm. The pH was measured, and all samples
were collected in the cube vet for analysis. Five different initial concentration of
MTBE at 2 ppm, 1 ppm, 0.8 ppm, 0.5 ppm and 0.2 ppm were used to plot the

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standard calibration curve. In addition, different wavelengths were conducted at the

range from 200 nm to 600 nm. The calibration curve is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Standard calibration curve at wavelength, = 340nm.

From the standard calibration curve, it is shown that the linear line equation is
y 0.542 x 0.176 and R = 0.980.
2

3. Results and Discussion

Figure 6 shows the effects of contact time to the percentage removal of
MTBE from synthetic wastewater. It is noticed that the percentage of removal
increases in accordance to the contact time. The percentage removal of MTBE at 20
minutes for 2 ppm, 1.5 ppm, 1 ppm, 0.8 ppm and 0.5 ppm were 90%, 71.70%,
59.95%, 48.32% and 39.47%, respectively. For higher concentration of MTBE in
synthetic wastewater, the percentage removal is higher as compared to the low
concentration of MTBE in synthetic wastewater. The figure also represents the
impact of the effectiveness of the removal MTBE from synthetic wastewater for five
operations at the same time which are: oxidation, stripping, invers fluidization,
adsorption and air lift loop reactor processes. The features of this new design are the
absence of the possibility to knowledge the impact of each individual process on the
percentage of removal MTBE from synthetic wastewater, but results from the
subsequent experiments showed that the removing rate of MTBE for combined
processes (stripping, oxidation and adsorption) gradually slows down after 10 min.
As shown in Figure 6, obviously, there is a two-stage for removing of MTBE. The
percentage of removal of MTBE rate within first 4 min in the first stage was higher
than of those that followed after 4 min (approximately for all types of the feed input
to the combination of inverse fluidized and internal loop airlift reactor) because two
main reasons, the first is the MTBE concentration difference between the liquid phase
(H2O) and gas phase (air) is high at the start of the stripping process and between the
liquid phase (oxidized water in the draft tube) and solid phase (GAC in the annulus)
in the start of the adsorption process. This provides a high driving force for mass
transfer between the watergas and water-solid phases. The second reason is that the
H2O2 decomposed very quickly to produce a large amount of OH. The produced OH
can react rapidly with organic substance (MTBE) and caused the increasing of the
oxidation efficiency of MTBE.
It is noticed that the percentage of removal of MTBE at 20 minutes for 2 ppm
is 90% the reason may be due to the increase in the gas input led to an increase in the
riser gas holdup, thus leading to an intense increase in the induced liquid velocity,

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when liquid velocity reaches the bubble rise velocity, the bubbles was entrained into
the down comer, forming almost a stagnant swarm in the upper section, but, as the
bubbles were hoarded at the entrance to the down comer, a certain hydraulic
resistance to the liquid down flow appeared and the induced liquid velocity remained
almost constant, this led to the stable liquid recirculates as a result of the pressure or
the density difference between the oxidized liquid inside the draught tube and that
liquid in annulus furthermore the partial or total disengagement of gas at the top of
the draft tube may be occurred, this step give more time to complete the stripping,
oxidation and adsorption processes in high efficiency.

Figure 6. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal of MTBE with

different initial concentration of MTBE.

The impact of contact time on the percentage of removal MTBE with

different molar ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide is illustrated in Figure 7. The
results showed that MTBE removing rate is enhanced at a higher initial molar ratio of
MTBE to the H2O2 when keeping the air flow rate (7 liter/min) and initial
concentration of MTBE (2 ppm) constants. The percentage removal of MTBE at 20
min for molar ratios of 1/10, 1/15 and 1/20 were 75%, 80.1% and 90%, respectively.
The elimination percentage of MTBE reached approximately 90% when the
molar ratio of (MTBE/H2O2) =1/20. As shown in Figure 10. The reason may be due
to the high decomposition rate of (H2O2) and creating a large amount of hydroxyl
radicals which make increased in probability of attacking (MTBE) by OH and caused
the increasing of the efficiency of MTBE oxidation process. . The levels of H2O2 had
two opposing effects on the reaction rate (Glaze et al., 1992; Alnaizy et al., 2009;
Beltran et al., 1993). Increasing initial hydrogen peroxide concentration enhances the
oxidation process up to a certain level at which hydrogen peroxide inhibits the
degradation. As a result of higher hydrogen peroxide concentration, hydrogen
peroxide acts as a free radical scavenger itself, thereby decreasing the hydroxyl
radicals concentration. Hence, there is an optimum H2O2 dosage, for example, the
molar ratio of H2O2 to the contaminant (MTBE). A great reduction in the
degradation rate is expected at much higher H2O2 concentrations. This depends on the
hydrogen peroxide presence indicates that oxidation by radical attacks (i.e. OH and
OOH) is the major mechanism by which MTBE is degraded. Chang (2000) state that
the kinetics of this advance oxidation process type is dependent on initial
concentrations of starting organics (MTBE) and the oxidant (H2O2). In the ex-
perimental results showed that the initial rates of MTBE oxidation depend on
hydrogen peroxide concentration as well as the initial MTBE concentration. The
selection of the proper empty bed contact time (EBCT) is one of the important factors
in the design should be taken into consideration to fully utilize the GAC capacity
(Crittenden et al., 1987). Therefore been put 5 kg of granules of activated carbon in
the space between the inner tube and outer (annulus) in the form of bed rises by (0.3)

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m as the optimal length of the mass transfer zone. The process of recycling the liquid
as a result of pressure or density difference due to partial or total disengagement of
gas at the top of the draft tube gives full opportunity for the adsorption process to
occur efficiently.

Figure7. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal with different molar
ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide.

The presented data are in Figure 8 shows the effects of contact time to the
percentage removal of MTBE from synthetic wastewater in a different flow rates. No
significant increase in the percentage of removal of MTBE from water was recorded,
is approximately constant with the contact time. The percentage removal of MTBE at
20 minutes for air flow rate 7 liter/min, 8 liter/min, 10 liter/min are 90%, 89.6% and
89.9%, respectively.

Figure 8. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal with different air flow
rates.

Figure 9 illustrates the effects of contact time on the concentration with different
molar ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide. It is shown that the concentration of
molar ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide decreases with contact time. It was
observed that the initial MTBE concentration was reduced at 20 min from 2 ppm to
0.2 ppm with 1/20 molar ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide. It is also observed that
the concentrations at 20 min for molar ratio 1/10, 1/15 are 0.5 ppm and 0.398 ppm,
respectively.

Figure 9. Effect of contact time on the concentration with different molar ratio of
MTBE to hydrogen peroxide.

Figure 10 illustrates the effects of contact time on the concentration of MTBE with
different air flow rates. The concentration of MTBE decreases with time the
concentrations of MTEB after 20 minutes for air flow rates 7 liter/min, 8 liter/min
and 10 liter/min are 0.2 ppm, 0.208 ppm and 0.202 ppm respectively.

Figure 10. Effect of contact time on the concentration with different air flow
rates.

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4. Conclusions
In conclusion, proved the success of the proposed design to remove dissolved organic
pollutant from waste water by using the three spontaneous processes (stripping,
oxidation and adsorption) with the integration of both of inverse fluidized and
internal airlift loop reactor and achieved higher percentage removal of MTBE in
synthetic wastewater, Furthermore evidenced by the use of the new design that
increase area and a contact time between (MTBE) and hydrogen peroxide with
activated carbon granules through the recycling of oxidized water between draft and
annulus led to an increase in the efficiency of removal of MTBE up to reach 90%.
Results showed that the molar ratio 1/20 for MTBE to the hydrogen peroxide with 7
liter / min air flow rate gives the highest efficiency to remove the MTBE from the
synthetic wastewater.

Acknowledgments
The researcher would like to thank the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, University
Malaysia Pahang (UMP) for providing laboratory facilities to complete this Study.

References

Aktas, O., & Cecen, F., (2007). Biorefgeneration of activated carbon: A review. International
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Baehr, A.L., Stackelberg, P.E., and Baker, R.J. (1999). Evaluation of the atmosphere as
asource of volatile organic compounds in shallow groundwater. Water Resource.
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Chemical Industry Statistical Handbook. Arlington, VA: Chemical Manufacturers
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Dorfman, L. M. and Adams G. E. Reactivity of the Hydroxyl Radical, National Bureau of
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Diwani, G., El Rafie, S., and Hawash, S. (2009). Degradation of 2, 4, 6-trinitotoluene in
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Flores, A., Stocking, A., and Kavanaugh, M. (2000). Synthetic Resin Sorbents. In: Meli G.
(Ed.), Treatment Technologies for Removal of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE)
from Drinking Water: Air Stripping, Advanced Oxidation Processes, Granular
Activated Carbon, Synthetic Resin Sorbents. Nation Water Research Institute,
California, pp. 261333.
Glaze, W.H., Kang, J.W., and Chapin D.H. (1987). The Chemistry of Water Treatment
Processes Involving Ozone, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Ultraviolet Radiation. Ozone
Science and Engineer, 9,335- 352
Carvalho, M. F., et al. (2007). "Adsorption of fluorobenzene onto granular activated carbon:
Isotherm and bioavailability studies." Bioresource technology 98 (18), 3424-3430

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Hoa, K.L., Chung, Y.C., Lin, Y.H. and Tseng C.P. (2008). Microbial populations analysis
and field application of biofilter for the removal of volatile-sulfur compounds from
swine wastewater treatment system. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 152(2), 580-
588
Hoang, T.T.L. (2005). Granular activated carbon (GAC) bio filter in water and wastewater
treatment, M.E. thesis, University of Technology, Sydney.
Keller, A.A., Sandal, O.C.,and Rinker, R.G., et al.(1998). Health and environmental
assessment of MTBE, risk assessment, exposure assessment, water treatment and cost
benet analysis, vol. 5. Report to the Governor and Legislature of the State of
California as sponsored by SB521, p. 135
Klinger, J., Stieler, C., Sacher, F., and Branch, H.J.(2002). MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl
ether) in ground waters: monitoring results from Germany. J. Environ Monit . 4 (2),
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Loh, K.C. and Ranganath, S. (2005). External-loop fluidized bed airlift bioreactor ( EFBAB
for the cometabolic biotransformation of 4-chlorophenol (4-cp) in the presence of
phenol). Chemical Engineering Science, 60, 6313-6319
Maloney, S.M., Adrian, N.R., Hickey, R.F. and Heine, L. (2002). Anaerobic treatment of
pink water in a fluidized bed reactor containing GAC.Journal of Hazardous
Materials,92 (1), 77-88
Nishijima,W., Akama, T., Shoto, E. and Okada, M. (1997). Effect of adsorbed substances on
bioactivity of attached bacteria on granular activated carbon. Water Science and
Technology, 35(8), 203-208
Persson, F., Ngnark, J.L., Heinike, G., Hedberg, T., Tobiason, J., Stenstro, T.A. and
Hermansson, M. (2005). Characterisation of the behaviour of particles in biofilters
for pre-treatment of drinking water. Water Research, 39, 3791-3800
Quinlivan, P.A., Li, L., and Knappe, D.R.U. (2005). Effects of activated carbon
characteristics on the simultaneous adsorption of aqueous organic micro pollutants
and natural organic matter. Water research, 39,1663-1673
Schmidt,T.C., Schirmer, M., Weiss, H., and Haderlein, S.B. (2004). Microbial degradation
of methyl tert-butyl ether and tertbutyl alcohol in the subsurface. J. Contam. Hydrol.
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Squillace, P.J., Zogorski, J.S., Wilber, W.G., and Price, C.V. (1996). Preliminary assessment
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Figure2. Flow diagram of integrated system.

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(a) (b)

Figure1. Design of internal loop reactor system (SOIAAI).

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P1, waste water

Valves Dosing pumps T1 F1 flow meter
P2 tank
hydrogen
R1 regulator RE reactor C1 compressor T2
peroxide tank
nitrogen
N2 D1 distributor
cylinder

Figure3. Schematic diagram of experimental rig design.

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Figure 4.Trio effect treatment scenario.

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Figure 5. Standard calibration curve at wavelength, = 340nm.

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Figure 6. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal of MTBE with

different initial concentration of MTBE.

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Figure7. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal with different molar
ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide.

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Figure 8. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal with different air flow
rates.

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Figure 9. Effect of contact time on the concentration with different molar ratio of
MTBE to hydrogen peroxide.

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Figure 10. Effect of contact time on the concentration with different

air flow rates.

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Figures captions

Figure1. Design of internal loop reactor system (SOIAAI).

Figure2. Flow diagram of integrated system.

Figure3. Schematic diagram of experimental rig design.

Figure 4.Trio effect treatment scenario.

Figure 5. Standard calibration curve at wavelength, = 340nm.

Figure 6. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal of MTBE

with different initial concentration of MTBE.

Figure7. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal with different

molar ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide.

Figure 8. Effect of contact time on the percentage of removal with different

air flow rates.

Figure 9. Effect of contact time on the concentration with different molar

ratio of MTBE to hydrogen peroxide.

Figure 10. Effect of contact time on the concentration with different

air flow rates.

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