Willie F. Harper Jr.
Professor in the Systems Engineering and Management
Department at the Air Force Institute of Technology

Advanced oxidation of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether and Tert-butanol
Abstract:  The presence of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) and Tert-butanol (TBA) in groundwaters threatens global drinking water supplies. This study investigated the degradation of MTBE and TBA with UV/persulfate (PS) and UV/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Experiments were conducted over a range of experimental conditions and computational chemistry was carried out to elucidate reaction mechanisms and pathways. Pseudo first-order rate constants were retrieved from time-dependent 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. Treatment trials were supported by relative absorptivity measurements, which showed that PS absorbs a higher proportion of light than H2O2 does, which in turn creates a greater potential to generate radicals. Computational chemistry results provided additional new insights into reaction mechanisms and transformation pathways. UV/PS is a promising groundwater remediation technology for the removal of MTBE and TBA. 
 

Bio:  Willie F. Harper, Jr. is a Professor in the Systems Engineering and Management Department at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He received a BS (Civil Engineering) from UCLA, a MEng (Environmental Engineering) from Cornell University, and a PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering) from UC Berkeley where he studied enhanced biological phosphorus removal under David Jenkins. Dr. Harper has also served as visiting faculty at the Technical University of Denmark, the Tokyo University of Agricultural and Technology, and the University of Lomé (Togo). Dr. Harper’s research interest is water quality, and ongoing projects focus on advanced oxidation, bioremediation, atmospheric water harvesting, and AFFF decontamination. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and has been honored with many awards, including the AEESP Board of Directors Distinguished Service Award, the John L. McLucas Basic Research Award, the Fulbright Scholar Award, and the NSF Faculty Early CAREER Award. Dr. Harper is a native of North Long Beach, CA.