API Publ 4601

This report describes a field investigation into the effect of oxygenates methanol and methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) on the fate and transport of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in groundwater. Natural gradient tracer experiments were conducted to simulate the transport of dissolved plumes resulting from subsurface releases of oxygenated fuels. In these experiments, methanol, MTBE, and BTEX concentrations were monitored by sampling from a dense network of multilevel piezometers, and plume contours were mapped through application of moment analysis. A laboratory study on the effects of methanol and MTBE on the biodegradation of BTEX in groundwater was also conducted. The relative mobility and persistence of BTEX and the oxygenates were characterized based on field and laboratory study data.