• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.622-628
• /
• 2010

In this study, Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with GC/FID was studied as a possible alternative to liquid-liquid extraction for the analysis of BTEX and MTBE. Experimental parameters affecting the SPME process (such as kind of fibers, adsorption time, desorption time, volume ratio of sample to headspace, salt addition, and magnetic stirring) were optimized. Experimental parameters such as CAR/PDMS, adsorption time of 20 min, desorption time of 5 min at $250^{\circ}C$, headspace volume of 50 mL, sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration of 25% combined with magnetic stirring were selected in optimal experimental conditions for analysis of BTEX and MTBE. The general affinity of analytes to CAR/PDMS fiber was high in the order p-Xylene>Toluene>Ethylbenzene>MTBE>Benzene. The linearity of $R^2$ for BTEX and MTBE was from 0.970 to 0.999 when analyte concentration ranges from $30{\mu}g/L$ to $500{\mu}g/L$, respectively. The relative standard deviation (% RSD) were from 2.5% to 3.2% for concentration of $100{\mu}g/L$ (n=5), respectively. Finally, the limited of detection (LOD) observed in our study for BTEX and MTBE were from $7.5{\mu}g/L$ to $15{\mu}g/L$, respectively.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.724-732
• /
• 2002

Although the demands for diesel engine is increased, our world is faced with very serious problems related to the air pollution due to the exhaust emissions of the diesel engine. In this study, the potential possibility of oxygenated fuel such as Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was investigated for the sake of exhausted smoke reduction from diesel engine. MTBE has been used as a fuel additive blended into unleaded gasoline to improve octane number, but the study of application for diesel engine was incomplete. Because MTBE includes oxygen content approximately 18%, it is a kind of oxygenated fuel that the smoke emission of MTBE is reduced remarkably compared with commercial diesel fuel, that is, it can supply oxygen component sufficiently at high load and speed in diesel engine. But, the NOx emission of MTBE blended fuel is increased compared with commercial diesel fuel. And. it was tried to analyze not only total hydrocarbon but individual hydrocarbon components from $C_1$to $C_{6}$ in exhaust gas using gas chromatography to seek the reason for remarkable reduction of smoke emission. The results of this study show three conclusions. 1. The smoke omission of the MTBE blended fuel is lower than that of the diesel fuel at all experimental region in direct injection diesel engine. 2. Individual hydrocarbons(C$_1$~ $C_{6}$) as well as total hydrocarbon of oxygenated fuel are reduced remarkably compared with diesel fuel. 3. Smoke emission from diesel engines was strongly depended on oxygen content in fuel regardless of operating condition.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.55-67
• /
• 2001

This study contains the photocatalytic degradation of methyl-tert-butyl ether(MTBE), one of water-contaminating substances, into $CO_2$. Herein was investigated factors, kinetics, and reaction pathways related with MTBE degradation. This works is possible to be applied in the field of environmental remediation such as undergroundwater purification with optimized system configuration in the near future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.31-35
• /
• 2005

본 연구는 토양에 휘발유 첨가제인 MTBE와 휘발유의 주성분인 BTEX를 headspace 법에 의해 동시 분석하는 방법이다. 인산으로 pH를 2로 조절한 후 NaCl로 포화시킨 용액 5ml를 헤드스페이스 바이알에 보존제로 넣은 후 토양시료 약 2g을 이 용액에 침지시켜 시료 채취한 다음 헤드스페이스 장치에 넣고 $80^{\circ}C$에서 40분 가온하여 상부 기상의 일정량을 취해 GC-MS (SIM)으로 분석하였다. 본 분석법에 의한 검출한계는 methyl-tert-butyl ether(MTBE)와 benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o,m,p-xylene(BTEX)이 각각 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.2, 0.1, 0.2 ng/g이었고, 직선성은 0.995이상이었으며, 재현성도 10%내외의 정밀한 값을 보였다. 실제 시료를 분석한 결과, MTBE가 3-6,993 ng/g의 농도분포를 보였고 total BTEX는 1 ng/g으로 검출되었다. 이 방법은 빠르고 정밀 정확한 분석법으로 공정시험법으로 활용가치가 높다.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
• /
• 1998.10a
• /
• pp.195-196
• /
• 1998

MTBE는 미국에서 1970년대부터 휘발유의 옥탄가를 높이고 배기가스중 NOx, VOC, 일산화탄소의 방출을 감소시키기 위해 휘발유에 첨가되어 사용하기 시작하였다. 그 동안 MTBE의 사용은 자동차 배기가스에 의한 오존의 발생을 감소시키는 등 대도시내 대기오염감소에 많은 공헌을 한 것으로 알려져 왔다. 그러나 최근 미국등에서 이 물질의 사용으로 인한 인체가 입는 건강피해에 대한 우려가 조심스럽게 제기되고 있다. 우리나라에서도 시중휘발유에 많은 경우 부피비로 15 % 가량 MTBE가 첨가하여 사용하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 따라서 이 물질의 사용시 도시주민피해가 염려되는 대도시 지역에 대해서는 MTBE에 의한 대기오염감소에 의한 이점 등을 종합적으로 고려하는 종합적인 평가가 필요하다고 본다.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.387-394
• /
• 2008

The toxicity of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and formaldehyde (FA) on the indigenous microbial community in forest soil was studied. MTBE, TBA and FA with different concentrations were added into microcosms containing forest soil samples. After 10 and 30 days, total viable cell number and dehydrogenase activity in the microcosms were evaluated. Bacterial communities in the microcosms were also analyzed using a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Dehydrogenase activity and total viable cell number were decreased according to the increase of MTBE, TBA and FA concentrations (P<0.05). FA toxicity was the highest, but TBA toxicity was the lowest. The results of principal component analysis using DGGE fingerprints showed that the microbial communities contaminated MTBE, TBA and FA were grouped by exposure time not exposure concentration. Dominant species in the microcosms were as follows: Photobacterium damselae sub sp. and Bacillus sp. KAR28 for MTBE; Mycobacterium sp. and Uncultured Clostridium sp. for TBA; and Uncultured Paenibacillaceae bacterium and Anxynobacillus, Flavithermus for FA.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.85-91
• /
• 2003

In this study, the potential possibility of oxygenated fuel such as Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was investigated for the sake of exhausted smoke reduction from diesel engine. MTBE has been used as a fuel additive blended into unleaded gasoline to improve octane number, but the study of application for diesel engine was incomplete. Because MTBE includes oxygen content approximately 18%, it is a kind of oxygenated fuel that the smoke emission of MTBE is reduced remarkably compared with commercial diesel fuel. But, the NOx emission of MTBE blended fuel is increased compared with commercial diesel fuel. And, it was tried to analyze not only total hydrocarbon but individual hydrocarbon components from $C_1$ to $C_6$ in exhaust gas using gas chromatography to seek the reason for remarkable reduction of smoke emission. Individual hydrocarbons($C_1$~$C_6$) as well as total hydrocarbon of oxygenated fuel are reduced remarkably compared with diesel fuel. And, the effects of exhaust gas recirculation(EGR) on the characteristics of NOx emission has been investigated, too. It was found that simultaneous reduction of smoke and NOx was achieved with oxygenated fuel and cooled EGR method.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.757-766
• /
• 2016

MTBE and other gasoline additives contained in gasoline are known to be a refractory substance resistant to biodegradation. As a method of removing these substances, a research of method using native microbes of polluted soil was progressed and among these, bio-degradation possibility under aerobic condition was evaluated. All of the experiments were progressed based on batch experiment of lab scale and analyzed by GC-FID using HS-SPME technique. The result of bio-degradation experiment based on MTBE and other additives(ETBE, TAME) was observed below 1 mg/L, which initial concentration were 100 mg/L for each method. And through production of by-product and CO2, partial mineralization was confirmed. Degradation velocity of each additive was promptly represented in the order of TBA>ETBE>MTBE>TAME. Through this study, bio-degradation possibility of native microbes of oil polluted soil, MTBE and other gasoline additives was confirmed and it was considered that the result could be used for basic experiment data in removing oil pollutants of soil.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.403-413
• /
• 2008

Toxic effect of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and formaldehyde (FA) on microbial activity and diversity was compared in rice field, leek patch, and tidal mud flat soil samples. MTBE, TBA and FA with different concentrations were added into microcosms containing these soil samples, and placed at room temperature for 30 days. Then the microbial activities such as dehydrogenase and viable cell numbers and microbial community using a DGGE (Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) fingerprinting method were measured. Among the samples, dehydrogenase activity in rice field was inhibited the most by MTBE, TBA and FA. The toxic effect was higher according to the following orders: FA > MTBE > TBA. Dominant species in the microcosms contaminated with MTBE, TBA and FA were Chloroflex, Bacilli, gamma-proteobacteria in the rice field sample, Sphingobacteria, Flavobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacilli, gamma-proteobacteria in the leek patch sample, and Sphingobacteria, Flavobacteria, delta-proteobacteria, gamma-proteobacteria in the tidal mud flat sample.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2010

Only limited information is available on the measured exposure levels of residents according to the construction age of apartments. As such, present study was conducted to measure and to compare the bedroom, living-room, and outdoor air levels of MTBE and benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and m,p-xylene(BTEX) in both newer and older apartments. For both newer and older apartments, all the compounds except for MTBE showed significantly higher levels in bedrooms or living-rooms as compared to the outdoor concentrations. The ratio of bedroom or living-room median concentration to outdoor concentration was close to 1 for MTBE, whereas it was larger than 1 for other target compounds. It was also found that the bedroom and living-room appeared to have similar indoor sources and sinks for BTEX, but not for MTBE. The median concentration ratios of the newer apartments to the older apartments ranged from 1.63 to 1.81, depending upon the compounds. In contrast, the MTBE concentrations did not differ significantly between the newer and older apartments, thereby suggesting that although newer buildings could emit more VOCs, this is not applicable to all VOCs. Conclusively, the findings of present study should be considered, when designing exposure studies associated with VOC emissions in buildings and/or managing indoor air quality according to construction age of buildings.