An aerobic microbial consortium able to use methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as sole carbon and energy source was enriched in two waste air biotrickling filters. After the acclimation phase, the biotrickling filters were able to degrade up to 50 g of MTBE per cubic meter of reactor per hour, a value comparable to other gasoline constituents. The MTBE degrading biotricking filters were characterized by their almost full conversion (～97%) of MTBE to carbon dioxide, the absence of any degradation by-products in either the gas or the liquid phase, their very high specific degradation activity per amount of biomass, and their low rate of biomass accumulation - a clear advantage for a future industrial application. Overall, the results presented herein demonstrate that although MTBE is still often considered as a recalcitrant compound, it can be effectively biodegraded under carefully controlled environmental conditions.
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