Abstract
Leaking underground storage tanks can contaminate the groundwater. Since the 1980s, California leaking underground storage tanks have released millions of gallons of petroleum containing tertiary butyl alcohol into the subsurface. This compound was banned in early 2000 due to human health concerns. The United States Environmental Protection Agency considers tertiary butyl alcohol an animal carcinogen and a potential human carcinogen. California has not established a maximum contaminant level for tertiary butyl alcohol. (1) Based on the documented health hazards, a maximum contaminant level should be developed for tertiary butyl alcohol in California. (2) The California Water Resources Control Board’s “Low Threat Closure Policy”, which is a tool to evaluate closure of leaking underground storage tank sites, does not require regulators to consider tertiary butyl alcohol contamination in soil or groundwater in their closure review. This practice should be revisited based upon tertiary butyl alcohol’s toxicity data, its biotransformation from methyl tertiary butyl ether, and its stability in the environment. This review summarizes toxicity, sources, and environmental transformation of tertiary butyl alcohol, aims to raise awareness regarding the magnitude of the tertiary butyl alcohol problem in groundwater, and urges California regulators to develop more stringent protocols for tertiary butyl alcohol treatment. The nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards regulate and oversee cleanup at leaking underground storage tank sites in California. This study will directly impact Regional Water Quality Control Boards regulatory practices and will help provide a framework for developing monitoring and cleanup strategy for tertiary butyl alcohol around the world.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amberg A, Rosner E, Dekant W (2000) Biotransformation and kinetics of excretion of ethyl tert-butyl ether in rats and humans. Toxicol Sci 53:194–201
American Petroleum Institute (API) (2012) Technical bulletins, bulletin 26, TBA biodegradation: some frequently asked questions. Available at https://www.api.org/~/media/Files/EHS/CleanWater/Bulletins/26Bull.pdf. Accessed 20 Jul 2020
Bi EP, Haderlein SB, Schmidt TC (2005) Sorption of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) to synthetic resins. Water Res 39(17):4164–4176 ([PubMed: 16139865])
Bradley PM, Landmeyer JE, Chapelle FH (1999) Aerobic mineralization of MTBE and tert-butyl alcohol by stream-bed sediment microorganisms. Environ Sci Technol 33(11):1877–1879
Bradley PM, Landmeyer JE, Chapelle FH (2002) TBA biodegradation in surface-water sediments under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Environ Sci Technol 36(19):4087–4090 ([PubMed: 12380079])
California code of regulations, division 20, Chapter 6.7, Health and safety code. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ust/regulatory/docs/hsc67012019.pdf. Accessed 20 Jul 2020
California code of regulations, Title 23, Division 3, Chapter 16. https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Browse/Home/California/CaliforniaCodeofRegulations?guid=I1EB45220D45B11DEA95CA4428EC25FA0&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default). Accessed 20 Jul 2020
California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) (1999), Expedited evaluation of risk assessment for tertiary butyl alcohol in drinking water. http://www.oehha.ca.gov/water/pals/tba.html. Accessed 27 Dec 2019
California geotracker database, http://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov. Accessed 27 Dec 2019
California state water resources control board low threat closure policy, https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/boarddecisions/adoptedorders/resolutions/2012/rs20120016atta.pdf. Accessed 20 Jul 2020
California state water resources control board (2018), Division of drinking water https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinkingwater/certlic/drinkingwater/NotificationLevels.html. Accessed 27 Dec 2019
California state water resources control board (2020) Groundwater ambient monitoring and assessment (GAMA)
Chakraborty, I. (2001) Environmental engineering, university of California, davis. Anaerobic degradation of tert-butyl alcohol, methyl tert-butyl ether and ethanol in the subsurface.
Clark JJ (2001) tert-Butyl alcohol: chemical properties, production and use, fate and transport, toxicology, and detection in groundwater and regulatory standards 7:92 106
Comprehensive water resources management plan for Suffolk County (2015), Drinking water standards, https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Portals/0/FormsDocs/Health/EnvironmentalQuality/ComprehensiveWaterResourceManagementPlan/ComprehensiveWaterResourceManagement_Plan.pdf. Accessed 18, Jul 2020
Cronk G (2015), Bench scale treatability study, JAG consulting group.
Deeb RA, Scow KM, Alvarez-Cohen L (2000) Aerobic MTBE biodegradation: an examination of past studies, current challenges and future research directions. Biodegradation 11(2–3):171–186 ([PubMed: 11440243])
DeVaull GE, Sun PT, Rhodes IAL, Walsh DF (2003) Study of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) at selected underground storage tank remediation project sites in orange County, California-Final Report. Houston, Texas: Shell Global Solutions.
Dilling, W.L., et al. (1976) Environmental Science & Technology, 19:351-6.
Environmental Protection Agency (2017) toxicological review of tert-Butyl alcohol.
EPA Guide (2017) How to evaluate alternative cleanup technologies for underground storage tank sites. A guide for corrective action plan reviewers. Available at https://www.epa.gov/ust/how-evaluate-alternative-cleanup-technologies-underground-storage-tank-sites-guide-corrective
Eweis JB, Chang DPY, Schroeder ED, Scow K, Morton RL, Caballero RC (1997) Meeting the challenge of MTBE biodegradation. Air & Waste Management Association’s 90th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, AWMA, Washington, DC
Feris KP, Hristova K, Gebreyesus B, Mackay D, Scow KM (2004) A shallow BTEX and MTBE contaminated aquifer supports a diverse microbial community. Microb Ecol 48:589–600
Fiorenza S, Suarez MP, Rifai HS (2002) MTBE in groundwater: status and remediation. J Environ Eng 128(9):773–781
Fortin NY, Morales M, Nakagawa Y, Focht DD, Deshusses MA (2001) Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) degradation by a microbial consortium. Environ Microbiol 3(6):407–416
Francois A, Mathis H, Godefroy D, Piveteau P, Fayolle F, Monot F (2002) Biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether and other fuel oxygenates by a new strain, Mycobacterium austroafricanum IFP 2012. Appl Environ Microbiol 68(6):2754–2762
Hanson JR, Ackerman CE, Scow KM (1999) Biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether by a bacterial pure culture. Appl Environ Microbiol 65(11):4788–4792 ([PubMed:10543787])
Hatzinger P, McClay K, Vainberg S, Tugusheva M, Condee C, Steffan R (2001) Biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether by a pure bacterial culture. Appl Environ Microbiol 67(12):5601–5607
Hazardous Substances Databank (2005), Toxicology data network (TOXNET). National library of medicine available from: http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?HSDB. Accessed 27 Dec 2019
Hazardous substances data bank (2007) National library of medicine, t-Butyl alcohol Bethesda MD
Hickman GT, Novak JT (1989) Environ Sci Technol 23:525–532
Hong J-Y, Wang Y-Y, Bondoc FY, Lee M, Yang CS, Wen-Yu Hu, Pan J (1999) Metabolism of Methyl tert-butyl Ether and Other Gasoline Ethers by Human Liver Microsomes and Heterologously Expressed Human Cytochromes P450: Identification of CYP2A6 as a Major Catalyst. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 160:43–48
Howard P.H. (1995) Handbook of environmental fate and exposure data for organic chemicals. Lewis Publishers.
Hristova K, Gebreyesus B, Mackay D, Scow KM (2006) Naturally occurring bacteria similar to the methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-degrading strain PM1 are present in MTBE-contaminated groundwater. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2003; 69(5):2616–2623. [PubMed: 12732529] ICIS, Timeline: A Very Short History of MTBE in the US, ICIS Editorial. https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2006/07/05/1070674/timeline-a-very-short-history-of-mtbe-in-the-us/. Accessed 27 Dec 2019
ITRC (Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council) (2005) Overview of groundwater remediation technologies for MTBE and TBA. Washington, D.C: interstate technology & regulatory council, MTBE and other fuel oxygenates team. Available at http://www.itrcweb.org/Documents/MTBE-1.pdf
Johnson PC, Miller K, Bruce CL (2003) In Situ bioremediation of MTBE in groundwater–final technical report. Available at http://estcp.org/content/search?cqp=Standard&SearchText=mtbe&x=0&y=0
Kane SR, Beller HR, Legler TC, Koester CJ, Pinkart HC, Halden RU, Happel AM (2001) Aerobic biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether by aquifer bacteria from leaking underground storage tank sites, applied and environmental microbiology 67:5824-5829, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.67.12.5824-5829.2001. Accessed 27 Dec 2019
Kolhatkar R., Wilson JT., Dunlap LE., (2000) Evaluating natural biodegradation of MTBE at multiple UST sites. Petroleum and organic chemicals in ground water: prevention, detection and remediation conference & exposition; Anaheim, California. p. 32–49.
Ke Li, Hokanson DR, Crittenden JC, Trussell RR, Minakata D (2008) Evaluating UV/H2O2 processes for methyl tert-butyl ether and tertiary butyl alcohol removal: effect of pretreatment options and light sources. J Water Res 42:5045–5053
Lin Z, Wilson JT, Fine DD (2003) Avoiding hydrolysis of fuel ether oxygenates during static headspace analysis. Environ Sci Technol 37(21):4994–5000
Mackay D, De Sieyes N, Einarson M, Feris K, Pappas A, Wood I, Jacobson L, Scow K (2007) Impact of ethanol on the natural attenuation of MTBE in a normally sulfate-reducing aquifer. Environ Sci Technol 41:2015–2021
Mackay DM, Scow KM, Wood IA, Battaglia V, Zertuche A, Feris KP, Hristova K, Naas C, Wilson RD (2004) Evaluation of in situ biodegradation of TAME and other oxygenates by native microbial communities: Final Report. American Petroleum Institute; Houston, TX.
Mackay DM, Wilson RD, Scow KM, Einarson MD, Fowler B, Wood IA (2001) In situ remediation of MTBE at vandenberg air force base, California. Contaminated soil, sediment, and water. 43–46. Spring Special Issue.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem compound database; CID=6386, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6386. Accessed 17 Jul 2020
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (2009), Environmental fact sheet, www.des.nh.gov
Nihlén A, Löf A, Johanson G (1998) Controlled ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) exposure of male volunteers: I. Toxicokenetics Toxicol Sci 46:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1006/toxs.1998.2516.
North KP, Mackay DM, Kayne JS, Petersen D, Rasa E, Rastegarzadeh L, Holland RB, Scow KM (2012) In situ Biotreatment of TBA with recirculation/oxygenation. J Ground Water Monit Remed 32(3):52–62
O’Reilly KT, Moir ME, Taylor CD, Smith CA, Hyman MR (2001) Hydrolysis of tert-Butyl Methyl Ether (MTBE) in dilute aqueous acid. Environ Sci Technol 35(19):3954–3961
Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology (1982) 3rd Revised Edition. Clayton G, Clayton F, Eds. John Wiley & Sons: New York, NY, p 4587
Reinauer KM, Zhang Y, Yang X, Finneran KT (2008) Aerobic biodegradation of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) by psychro- and thermo-tolerant cultures derived from granular activated carbon (GAC). Biodegradation 19:259–268
Richards Sarah Anne (1999) Removal of methyl ter-butyl ether (MTBE) over a solid acid catalyst (Unpublished Master’s Thesis). Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Rong Y, Kerfoot HB (2003) Much ado: how big is the problem of hydrolysis of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) to form tertiary butyl alcohol (tBA)? Environ Foren 4:239–243
Salanitro J, Dias L, Williams M, Wisniewski H (1994) Isolation of a bacterial culture that degrades methyl t-butyl ether. Appl Environ Microbiol 60(7):2593–2596
Schmidt TC, Schirmer M, Weiss H, Haderlein SB (2004) Microbial degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether and tert-butyl alcohol in the subsurface. J Contam Hydrol 70(3–4):173–203 ([PubMed: 15134874])
Sedran MA, Pruden A, Wilson GJ, Suidan MT, Venosa AD (2002) Effect of BTEX on degradation of MTBE and TBA by mixed bacterial consortium. J Environ Eng 128(9):830–835
Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc. (2003). Study of Tert-Butyl Alcohol (TBA) at selected underground storage tank remediation project sites in orange County, California. Prepared for S. J. Daugherty, Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, Calif.
Shih T, Rong Y, Harmon T, Suffet M (2004) Evaluation of the impact of fuel hydrocarbons and oxygenates on groundwater resources. Environ Sci Technol 38:42–48
Suflita J.M., Mormile M.R. (1993) Environ. Sci. Technol 27(5)
Sutherlan J, Adams C, Kekobad J (2005) Treatability of alternative fuel oxygenates using advanced oxidation, air stripping, and carbon adsorption. J Environ Eng 131(4):623–631
The Hazardous Substances Data Bank, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland. 1985.
Wilson JT. and Adair C., US EPA; (2007). Monitored natural attenuation of tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) in ground water at gasoline spill sites. EPA/600/R-07/100. Available at www.epa.gov/nrmrl/pubs/600r07100/600R07100.pdf
Wilson JT, Kolhatkar R, Kuder T, Philp P, Daugherty J (2005) Stable isotope analysis of MTBE to evaluate the source of TBA in ground water. Ground Water Monit Rem 25(4):108–116
Wilson RD, Mackay DM, Scow KM (2002) In situ MTBE biodegradation supported by diffusive oxygen release. Environ Sci Technol 36(2):190–199 ([PubMed: 11827053])
Wiedemeier, TH.; Miller, RN.; Wilson, JT (1995) Significance of anaerobic processes for the intrinsic bioremediation of fuel hydrocarbons. Proceedings of the Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Chemicals in Groundwater -Prevention, Detection, and Remediation Conference; Nov 29–Dec 1, Houston, TX.
Wiedemeier TH, Rifai HS, Wilson JT, Newell CJ (1999) Natural attenuation of fuels and chlorinated solvents in the subsurface. Wiley Inc, New York
Yeh CK, Novak JT (1991) Proceedings of the API/NGWA 1991 petroleum hydrocarbons & organic compounds in groundwater: prevention, detection & remediation conference, Houston, Texas.
Zhuang W, Tay J, Yi S, Tay S (2005) Microbial adaptation to biodegradation of tert-butyl alcohol in a sequencing batch reactor. J Biotechnol 114:45–53
Zogorski J, Morduchowitz Α, Baehr Α, Bauman B, Conrad D, Drew R, Korte N, Lapham W, Pankow J, Washington E (1996) Fuel oxygenates and water quality: current understanding of sources, occurrence in natural waters, environmental behavior, fate, and significance. Prepared for the interagency oxygenated fuel assessment and coordinated by the office of science and technology policy.
Acknowledgements
Our sincere gratitude goes to Amanda Davatolhagh and Ricky Huang (Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board Scientific Aids) for dedicating their time and effort in helping with data processing and graphing tasks. Their contribution was a tremendous help in completing this manuscript.
Funding
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
No financial or non-financial conflict of interest exists.
Ethical Approval
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
Editorial responsibility: Hari Pant.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Toumari, A., Suffet, I.H.(. Evaluation of tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) impact on groundwater: application to California. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 18, 2879–2890 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-03041-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-03041-z