Comtabolic degradation of mtbe by a cyclogexane-oxidising bacteria

摘要

A cyclohexane-oxidising bacterial culture has been tested for its ability to degrade gasoline oxygenates, including methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) and di-isopropyl ether (DIPE). The initial oxidation of MTBE resulted in the production of nearly stoichometric amounts of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). The maximum MTBE transformation rate that the mixed culture exhibited at 20 deg C was 6.4 mg MTBE/g dry cells/h. Inhibition studies with 1-aminobenzotriazole (1-ABT) suggested that the enzyme responsible for the oxidation of MTBE is a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase, most likely the cyclohexane monooxygenease (CMO). The cyclohexane-oxidising culture was capable also of degrading benzene and toluene efficiently, and had the ability to degrade MTBE in the presence of benzene or toluene.