POWRE: Investigating the Impact of Vegetation on Transport and Fate of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) in the Environment

9806228 Ramaswami本研究的目的是研究植被作为控制甲基叔丁基醚（MTBE）在自然环境中的运输和转化的潜在重要因素。虽然汽油添加剂甲基叔丁基醚已有效地减少空气污染排放的汽车，它的存在已被发现在地下水和地表沃茨在全国各地。很明显，点源污染不能解释观测结果，建议大气中MTBE的非点沉积。植被被认为在MTBE的迁移和转化中起作用。本研究的目的是了解这一作用，其目标如下：1）研究潜在的植被引起的大气和水体之间转移MTBE的途径，包括从地下水到空气的蒸腾作用，以及空气传播的MTBE的叶面吸收，2）评估MTBE在植物中移动时的命运，并确定植物根际中MTBE的增强微生物降解，以及评估上述因素，并将其纳入描述大气和地下水系统之间MTBE的归宿和迁移的数学模型。所获得的知识可以应用于开发综合模型来描述MTBE对环境的影响，并开发基于植物的地下水处理植物修复系统。PI的这一新的调查路线借鉴了她在硒植物修复和MTBE运输方面的工作，并为她成为这一研究领域的领导者提供了潜力。

9806228 Ramaswami The objective of this research is to examine vegetation as a potentially important factor controlling transport and transformations of Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in the natural environment. While the gasoline additive MTBE has been effective in reducing air polluting emissions from automobiles, its presence has been detected in groundwater and surface waters across the nation. It is apparent that point source contamination does not explain the observations and that non-point deposition of atmospheric MTBE is suggested. Vegetation is thought to play a role in both the transport and the transformation of MTBE. It is the aim of this research to understand that role, with the following objectives: 1) examine potential vegetation-induced pathways for transfer of MTBE between the atmosphere and bodies of water, including the transpiration from groundwater to air, as well as foliar uptake of air-borne MTBE, 2) assess the fate of MTBE as it moves through the plant and determine enhanced microbial degradation of MTBE in the plant rhizosphere and 3) assess the above factors and incorporate them into mathematical models that describe the fate and transport of MTBE between the atmosphere and groundwater systems. The knowledge gained may be applied toward development of integrated models to describe the impact of MTBE on the environment and to the development of plant-based phytoremediation systems for groundwater treatment. This new line of inquiry for the PI draws on her work with Se phytoremediation and MTBE transport and provides the potential for her to become a leader in this area of research.