Pathways for the degradation of MTBE and other fuel oxygenates by isolate PM1

A direct aqueous injection GC/MS was used to determine the degradation products of MTBE and five related compounds, i.e., TAME, ETBE, di-isopropyl ether, tert-amyl alcohol (TAA), and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). TBA was the intermediate in the degradation pathways for MTBE and ETBE, and TAA was the intermediate in the degradation pathway for TAME. Under favorable conditions (aerobic conditions and in the absence of more favorable substrates). PM1 could rapidly mineralized MTBE. They also showed that the rates of degradation of TAME, ETBE, DIPE, TBA, and TAA by PM1 are of the same order of magnitude as the degradation rate for MTBE. The similarity in degradation rates and consistent patterns in product formation suggested that similar enzyme systems are responsible for all of the reactions.