Intern: Elis Madrigal
Mentor: Mina Mitani
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Arturo Keller
Supporting Grant Agency: Not Disclosed
Academic Major: Biology
Project Title: "Gas Phase Kinetic Study of MTBE with Ozone"
Abstract: In 1979 MTBE (methyl-tert-butyl-ether) was introduced in the United States as a fuel additive for the country's gasoline supply. MTBE serves as a gasoline oxygenate that makes fuel burn more efficiently. This helps reduce air pollution. Unfortunately, due to its chemical nature, MTBE is very soluble in water and it mixes readily into the groundwater when gasoline containing MTBE leaks out of underground tanks. Due to its toxicity, this can pose a substantial health/environmental threat. MTBE will be phased out of the fuel supply within the next five years, but there are already significant amounts of MTBE in the groundwater. Since MTBE doesnŐt degrade easily, remediation techniques need to be developed to reduce existing levels of MTBE. One possible method is to oxidize MTBE with ozone to harmless compounds. Experiments with MTBE and ozone in the liquid phase have been conducted to better understand whether the application of ozone would be an effective remediation technique. Further experiments will be conducted with ozone and MTBE in the gas phase to better understand the kinetics of the reaction.
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