An aerobic mixed bacterial culture (CL-EMC-1) capable of utilizing methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as the sole source of carbon and energy with a growth temperature range of 3 to 30 degrees C and optimum of 18 to 22 degrees C was enriched from activated sludge. Transient accumulation of tert-butanol (TBA) occurred during utilization of MTBE at temperatures from 3 degrees C to 14 degrees C, but TBA did not accumulate above 18 degrees C. The culture utilized MTBE at a concentration of up to 1.5 g l(-1) and TBA of up to 7 g l(-1). The culture grew on MTBE at a pH range of 5 to 9, with an optimum pH of 6.5 to 7.1. The specific growth rate of the CL-EMC-1 culture on 0.1 g l(-1) of MTBE at 22 degrees C and pH 7.1 was 0.012 h(-1), and the growth yield was 0.64 g (dry weight) g(-1). A new MTBE-utilizing bacterium, Variovorax paradoxus strain CL-8, isolated from the mixed culture utilized MTBE, TBA, 2-hydroxy isobutyrate, lactate, methacrylate, and acetate as sole sources of carbon and energy but not 2-propanol, acetone, methanol, formaldehyde, or formate. Two other isolates, Hyphomicrobium facilis strain CL-2 and Methylobacterium extorquens strain CL-4, isolated from the mixed culture were able to grow on C-1 compounds. The combined consortium could thus utilize all of the carbon of MTBE.