• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.375-383
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• 2000

A mixed culture isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil was enriched on toluene as a sole carbon and energy source, and degradation characteristics of BTEX(Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes) was observed. In the single-substrate experiments, all the BTEX compounds were degraded, and it was degraded as following orders; toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene. In the degradation experiments of BTEX mixtures, the degradation rate was decreased compared to that in the single substrate experiment and ethylbenzene was degraded faster than benzene. In the experiments of binary-mixtures, various substrate interactions such as inhibition, stimulation, and non-interaction were observed, and ethylbenzene was shown to be most potent inhibitor of BTEX degradation. In the degradation characteristic studies of xylene isomers, m-xylene and p-xylene were degraded as carbon sources, and it was stimulated in the presence of either benzene or toluene. However, degradation of o-xylene was enhanced only in the presence of benzene.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.179-182
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• 2000

Toluene-degrading bacterium, Microbacterium esteraromaticum CS3-1 was isolated from the biofilter for the removal of BTEX. Microbacterium esteraromaticum CS3-1 was shown to utilize toluene as a primary carbon and energy source. Effect of mixed BTEX gases on toluene degradation rate by M. esteraromaticum CS3-1 was investigated in this study. Toluene degradation rate was 2.26(only toluene), 2.06(toluene+benzene), 2.57(toluene+ethylbenzene), and 4.74(toluene+xylene) mmole $toluene\;{\cdot}\;g-DCW^{-1}\;{\cdot}\;h^{-1}$. Toluene degradation rate was 2.26(only toluene), 1.23(toluene+benzene+ethylbenzene), 1.52 (toluene+ethylbenzene+xylene), and 1.76(toluene+benzene+ethylbenzene+xylene) mmole $toluene\;{\cdot}\;g-DCW^{-1}\;{\cdot}\;h^{-1}$. The presence of BTEX compounds over three mixtures had a negative effect on toluene degradation rate. Toluene degradation rates were enhanced by the presence of ethylbenzene or xylene, whereas the presence of benzene had a negative effect on toluene degradation rate in comparison with toluene degradation rate when only toluene is existent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.909-915
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• 2002

The biodegradation of BTEX components (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene) individually and in mixtures was investigated using the o-xylene-degrading thermo-tolerant bacterium Ralsronia sp. strain PHS1 , which utilizes benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or o-xylene as its sole carbon source. The results showed that as a single substrate for growth, benzene was superior to both toluene and ethylbenzene. While growth inhibition was severe at higher o-xylene concentrations, no inhibition was observed (up to 100 mg $l^-1$) with ethylbenzene. In mixtures of BTEX compounds, the PHS1 culture was shown to degrade all six BTEX components and the degradation rates were in the order of benzene, toluene, o-xylene, ethylbenzene, and m- and p-xylene. m-Xylene and p-xylene were found to be co-metabolized by this microorganism in the presence of the growth-supporting BTEX compounds. In binary mixtures containing the growth substrates (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene. and o-xylene), PHS1 degraded each BTEX compound faster when it was alone than when it was a component of a BTEX mixture, although the degree of inhibition varied according to the substrates in the mixtures. p-Xylene was shown to be the most potent inhibitor of BTEX biodegradation in binary mixtures. On the other hand, the degradation rates of the non-growth substrates (m-xylene and p-xylene) were significantly enhanced by the addition of growth substrates. The substrate utilization patterns between PHS1 and other microorganisms were also examined.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.351-358
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• 2005

The research in this paper was carried out to examine the BTEX(Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene) concentrations in Seongseo Industrial Complex. These compounds are the major constituents, more than $60\%$ in composition of total VOCs, mainly charging in ambient air. BTEX samples were collected from the 38 sites, 10 for the source points and 18 for the boundary sites, and were analyzed by canister-GC/MS. The mean concentrations of BTEX were 33 ppbv for benzene, 214 ppbv for toluene, 89 ppbv for ethyl benzene, 77 ppbv for xylene. Among the BTEX, toluene had the highest concentration in the source points and boundary sites. In the source points, BTEX concentration of incineration facility for hazardous wastewater appeared highly in the range of 220­350 ppbv. BTEX concentrations in source boundary sites appeared in the order of toluene>ethylbenzene>xylene>benzene. As a result of the correlation analysis, the concentration of the source points was related to those of the boundary sites. Correlation of ethylbenzene and xylene was presented to 0.7991(P<0.0 1),\;0.6329(P<0.05) as the correlation coefficient, respectively.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.185-191
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• 2018

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) were well known as ozone precursors from photochemical reactions and contribute to the formation of photochemical smog which pose health hazards. Also, some of these compounds directly affect the human health due to their toxicity such as benzene. In this study, BTEX ratios and correlation of $C_2$-benzenes (xylenes, ethylbenzene) in vehicle exhaust from recreational vehicle (RV) and multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) were characterized using a chassis dynamometer. VOCs were collected by tedlar bag and a GC/MS system was used for their quantification. Among all of the BTEX, toluene has the highest concentration(more than 30% in composition of BTEX). The average ratio of toluene to benzene emissions (T/B ratio=2.2) was found in vehicle exhaust. The average m,p-xylene/ethylbenzene and m,p-xylene/o-xylene ratios were 1.0 and 3.0 respectively. As a result, it showed a good correlation between the $C_2$-benzenes ($R^2=0.98{\sim}0.99$). In the future, it can be used as a marker for effect evaluation to atmospheric environment by vehicle exhaust.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.163-166
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to evaluate substrate interactions of BTEX for multicomponent. Although BTEX compounds have similar chemical structures, biodegradation of individual BTEX is different with the present of certain BTEX compounds. The biodegradation rate is order to Benzene=Toluene>Ethylbenzene> m, p-Xylene>o-Xylene. Xylenes is stimulated when benzene or toluene is present. Especially o-xylene Inhibit other BTEX compounds.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.403-409
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• 2005

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in groundwater often coexists with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) near the source of the plume. Then, groundwater contamination problems have been developed in areas where the chemical is used. Common sources of water contamination by BTEX and MTBE include leaking underground gasoline storage tanks and leaks and spills from above ground fuel storage tanks, etc. In oil-contaminated environments, anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX and MTBE depended on the concentration and distribution of terminal electron acceptor. In this study, effect of electron acceptor on the anaerobic biodegradation for BTEX and MTBE-contaminated soil was investigated. This study showed the anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX and MTBE in two different soils by using nitrate reduction, ferric iron reduction and sulfate reduction. The soil samples from the two fields were enriched for 65 days by providing BTEX and MTBE as a sole carbon source and nitrate, sulfate or iron as a terminal electron acceptor. This study clearly shows that degradation rate of BTEX and MTBE with electron acceptors is higher than that without electron acceptors. Degradation rate of Ethylbenzene and Xylene is higher than that of Benxene, Toluene, and MTBE. In case of Benzene, Ethylbenzene, and MTBE, nitrate has more activation. In case of Toluene and Xylene, sulfate has more activation.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.386-389
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• 2003

Organic solvent tolerance bacteria, Pseudomonas savastanoi BCNU 106 could utilize a high contentration of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene isomers (BTEX) as a sole carbon source. It was founded that strain BCNU 106 transformed o-xylene to 2-methylbenzyl alcohol, 2-methylbenzoic acid through direct oxygenation of methyl residue on GC-MS analysis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.414-418
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), which are volatile aromatic hydrocarbons and main constituents of gasoline, are neuro-carcinogenic organic pollutants in soil and groundwater. Korea Ministry of Environment has established the maximum permissible level of BTEX in arable soil to 1, 20, 50 and 15 mg/kg, respectively. METHODS AND RESULTS: To understand an arable soil contamination by BTEX, we collected 92 samples from the arable lands around oil reservoir, and analyzed the BTEX residue using a GC-MS with head-space sampler. A linear correlation between BTEX concentration and peak areas was detected with coefficient correlations in the range of 0.9807-0.9995. The method LOQ of BTEX was 0.002, 0.014, 0.084, and 0.038 mg/kg, respectively. Recoveries of 0.5 mg/kg BTEX were found to be 73.7-96.9%. The precision was reliable since RSD percentage (0.7-7.5%) was below 30, which was the normal percent value. Also, BTEX in all samples were detected under the LOQ. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the investigated arable soils around airport and oil reservoir in Korea were not contaminated by oils.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.382-385
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• 2003

Organic solvent tolerant bacterium, designated as strain BCNU 106 is a gram negative, rod-shaped aerobe and grows on benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) as a sole carbon source. According to 16S rDNA analysis and fatty acid analysis, strain BCNU 106 showed highest similarity to Pseudomonas syringae var. savastanoi (Pseudomonas savastanoi). Strain BCNU 106 was able to utilize toluene, ethylbenzene, both o-, m-, p-xylene , m-cresol and o-cresol. The degradation of o-, m-, p-xylene by strain BCNU 106 is particularly important, since o-xylene is a compound of considerable environmental interest, owing to its recalcitrance; and very few microorganism have been reported to utilize both o-, m-, p-xylene as a sole carbon source.