Environment

Gasoline Additive Threatens Thousands of Public Drinking Wells

Published in Medical Letter on the CDC and FDA, March 27th, 2000

As many as 9,000 community water wells in 31 U.S. states may be affected by contamination from the gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) due to their proximity to leaking underground storage tanks, according to a new study.

First added to gasoline to enhance octane and later in much larger amounts to reduce air pollution, MTBE has turned up in groundwater throughout the nation. Its foul smell and taste are apparent at very low concentrations (parts per billion).

The estimate was reported in the March 23, 2000, Web edition of the journal Environmental Science & Technology by researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and the...

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Source: Medical Letter on the CDC and FDA (2000-03-27)

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