Removal of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) from contaminated water using UV-assisted nano composite materials

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the efficacy of UV-assisted nano material treatments to remove methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) from contaminated water. The focus was to investigate the applicability of combining the degradation potential of nano TiO2 photocatalysis and adsorption power of carbon nano tubes (CNTs). Effect of different combinations of two ultraviolet radiations (UVA and UVC) and three types of nano materials: TiO2, CNTs, and TiO2/CNTs on MTBE remediation was studied. Removal efficiency of different combinations varied significantly with highest removal (95%) achieved by UVC-TiO2, followed by UVC-CNTs (75%) and UVA-TiO2/CNTS (60%). However, additive effect of UV/TiO2/CNTs on MTBE removal from water was not observed. Major degradation byproducts formed were acetone, tertiary butyl formate, and tertiary butyl alcohol.