Abstract: A process for the treatment of aqueous effluents containing at least one of the following ethers is described: ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and/or methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and/or tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) in order to reduce the concentration of these ethers. A bacterium Gordonia terrae CIP I-2194 is innoculated under aerobic conditions. In particular, a bacterium Burkholderia cepacia CIP I-2052 or a bacterium Alcaligenes sp. CIP I-2561 or a bacterium Mycobacterium sp. CIP I-2562 is added in the presence of a growth substrate and, optionally, of a cobalt salt, and the ether contained in the effluents is degraded by the bacteria thus innoculated until its mineralization. The process is useable in the ether-contaminated water treatment industry.

Abstract: A process for treating aqueous effluents that contain at least one ether, preferably ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and/or methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and/or tert-amylmethylether (TAME) to reduce the concentration of said ether is described, characterized in that in the presence of a growth substrate, at least one bacterium that is selected from the group that is formed by Gordona terrae CIP I-1889 and Rhodococcus equi CIP I-2053 is grown in aerobic conditions, and the ether that is contained in the effluents is degraded in the presence of the substrate by the biomass of the bacteria that are thus produced.