{"id":39667,"date":"2014-05-31T12:00:38","date_gmt":"2014-05-31T16:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stg.savethewater.org\/?p=39667"},"modified":"2021-05-05T12:17:46","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T16:17:46","slug":"mtbe-contamination-ground-water-sources-behavior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/mtbe-contamination-ground-water-sources-behavior\/","title":{"rendered":"MTBE Contamination in Ground Water: Sources and Behavior"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Leigh Horton, staff writer for Save The Water\u2122 | May 31, 2014<\/p>\n
This report synthesizes information about the effects of Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) on ground water and public drinking wells. It is based solely on a literature review of relevant materials from predominantly American organizations researching wells in the United States. This report is a data-based investigation of MTBE contamination.<\/p>\n
In the late 1970\u2019s, MTBE was occasionally used as a gasoline additive to improve engine efficiency by increasing octane levels. The Clean Air Act Amendments introduced in 1990 to reduce smog and other pollutants resulted in an increased use of MTBE.3<\/span> These amendments did not require that oil companies add MTBE specifically, but economic consideration led most of them to add MTBE to their gasoline instead of alternative oxygenates. After these regulations were passed, groundwater readings began to reveal that MTBE exceeded the maximum contamination levels. In regions where MTBE contamination was the most noticeable (like California and Colorado, among others), residents began complaining about undrinkable water supplied by cities and private wells. Investigations were conducted by private and federal organizations. Their findings indicated that the additional MTBE usage was most likely contributing to water contamination. Their results contributed to the reduction of MTBE use in gasoline. In 2005, the US government no longer required reformulated gasoline to have oxygenates like MTBE, and state bans substantially reduced the amount of MTBE used.<\/p>\n This report is based on a literature review of sources from the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies and hearings. The sources referenced in this report are listed in the citations section. For the sake of brevity, not all the literature read is included in this report, only the sources referenced.<\/p>\n Benjamin H. Grumbles, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water for the EPA in 2002, stated that \u201cthe most significant sources of contamination of water resources [from MTBE] are from leaking underground and above ground storage tanks, pipelines, refueling spills, emissions from older marine engines, and to a much lesser degree, storm runoff and precipitation\u201d.5<\/span> The USGS conducted research that concluded that high concentrations of MTBE contamination come from leaking underground storage tanks, common structures used at gas stations or any other facility containing hazardous materials.5<\/span> The USGS also found that in their 31-state study, 9,000 wells may be within a 1 kilometer radius of a leaking underground storage tank.5<\/span> However, not all wells near the tanks are at risk of contamination. Contamination is determined by the direction of groundwater flow, geologic properties, and other factors.<\/p>\n The most common complaint has been the taste-and-smell-quality of drinking water. The health effects are minimal but include respiratory issues near MTBE sources, headaches, coughing, burning throat or nose, eye irritation, nausea or vomiting, disorientation, and dizziness.1<\/span><\/p>\n MTBE is highly soluble in water and in certain environments, it can biodegrade \u201cin ground water and soil where sufficient oxygen is present and in bed sediments of streams, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries\u201d.5<\/span> However, this aerobic biodegradation turns MTBE to acetone (see Figure 1).<\/p>\nDefinitions<\/h2>\n
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Methods<\/h2>\n
Findings<\/h2>\n
Major Sources and the Extent of MTBE in Ground Water<\/em><\/h2>\n
Reported Health Problems<\/em><\/h2>\n
MTBE Behavior in Ground Water<\/em><\/h2>\n