UV‐Activated Advanced Oxidation of MTBE and TBA: A Comparison of Sulfate and Hydroxyl‐Radical Treatment Processes
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-31-2025
Abstract
Contaminated groundwater must be treated to protect drinking water supplies. This study investigated the degradation of MTBE and TBA with UV/persulfate (PS) and UV/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) advanced oxidation processes. Experiments were conducted at initial concentrations of MTBE and TBA of 7.4 and 6.2 mg/L respectively over a range of conditions and computational analysis was carried out to elucidate reaction mechanisms and pathways. Pseudo first-order rate constants were retrieved from temporal degradation profiles. MTBE degradation was faster than that of TBA, and UV/PS-driven oxidation of both chemicals was faster than that of UV/H2O2. Relative absorptivity measurements showed that PS absorbed a higher proportion of light than H2O2 did, which in turn created greater potential to generate radicals. Density Functional Theory (DFT) results provided additional new insights. UV/PS is a promising groundwater remediation technology for the removal of MTBE and TBA.
Source Publication
Water Environment Research (ISSN 1061-4303 | eISSN 1554-7531)
Recommended Citation
Schober, J. D., Mainolfi, L., Neal, A., & Harper, W. F. (2026). Uv‐activated advanced oxidation of mtbe and tba: A comparison of sulfate and hydroxyl‐radical treatment processes. Water Environment Research, 98(1), e70254. https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.70254
Comments
© 2025 Water Environment Federation.
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