Emma Mallinson

Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

Research Assistant

emma.mallinson@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5786

Room D01, Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)

Full contact details

Emma Mallinson
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Room D01
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD

Research interests

Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) is a fuel oxygenate used as a gasoline additive to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions.

In Europe, use of ETBE has overtaken use of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), due to European biofuels legislation. This is because bio-ethanol can be used in the production of ETBE.

However, there is a lack of adequate information in the literature on the fate of ETBE in groundwater, as most research has previously focused on MTBE. More information about ETBE in the environment is required for risk management in the case of release of ETBE to the environment.

Previous research about synthetic chemicals released into the environment (such as halogenated compounds and MTBE) suggest that microorganisms are able to develop metabolic pathways for biodegradation.

If this is the case for ETBE, then natural attenuation could be a suitable remediation strategy for ETBE contaminated groundwater.

This project aims to provide information on the biodegradation potential of ETBE under various environmental conditions (e.g. nutrient status, redox state, co-substrates) in groundwater, and how microorganisms interact in order to transfer the genes responsible for ETBE biodegradation.

This data will allow risk-based decisions to be made about remediation of ETBE contaminated groundwater by natural attenuation.

Publications

Journal articles

Nicholls HCG, Mallinson HEH, Rolfe SA, Hjort M, Spence MJ & Thornton SF (2020) Influence of contaminant exposure on the development of aerobic ETBE biodegradation potential in microbial communities from a gasoline-impacted aquifer. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 388. View this article in WRRO
Thornton SF, Nicholls HCG, Rolfe SA, Mallinson HEH & Spence MJ (2020) Biodegradation and fate of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) in soil and groundwater: A review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 391, 122046-122046.
Pickup R, Mallinson H & Rhodes G (2015) Sampling water bodies. Methods in Biotechnology, 12, 29-34.
Thornton SF, Bottrell SH, Spence KS, Pickup R & Shah N (2011) Assessment of MTBE biodegradation in contaminated groundwater using 13C and 14C analysis: Field and laboratory microcosm studies. Applied Geochemistry, 26(5), 828-837.
Williams GM, Pickup RW, Thornton SF, Lerner DN, Mallinson HEH, Moore Y & White C (2001) Biogeochemical characterisation of a coal tar distillate plume. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 53, 175-197.
Pickup RW, Rhodes G, Alamillo ML, Mallinson HEH, Thornton SF & Lerner DN (2001) Microbiological analysis of multi-level borehole samples from a contaminated groundwater system. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 53(3-4), 269-284.
Lerner DN, Thornton SF, Spence MJ, Banwart SA, Bottrell SH, Higgo JJ, Mallinson HEH, Pickup RW & Williams GM (2000) Ineffective Natural Attenuation of Degradable Organic Compounds in a Phenol-Contaminated Aquifer. Ground Water, 38(6), 922-928.
Pickup RW, Mallinson HEH, Rhodes G & Chatfield LK (1997) A Novel Nickel Resistance Determinant Found in Sewage-Associated Bacteria. Microbial Ecology, 33(3), 230-239.
Nicholls HCG, Rolfe SA, Mallinson HEH, Hjort M, Spence MJ, Bonte M & Thornton SF () Distribution of ETBE-degrading microorganisms and functional capability in groundwater, and implications for characterising aquifer ETBE biodegradation potential. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Conference proceedings papers

Pickup RW, Mallinson HEH, Rhodes G, Alamillo ML, Thornton SF & Lerner DN (2002) A phenol-contaminated groundwater site: A microbiological perspective. IAHS-AISH Publication(275) (pp 251-256)