- CHICAGO (Reuters) - The gasoline
additive commonly known as MTBE, which is being phased out because it leaks
into ground water and may cause cancer, has been found in the Midwest even
though it is not used in the region, a researcher said on Thursday.
-
- The additive, methyl tertiary butyl ether, was found
in 70 percent of gasoline samples taken from more than 200 sites in Indiana,
Illinois and Michigan.
-
- ``MTBE is not supposed to be there,'' said Reynaldo Barreto
of Purdue University, citing the finding as evidence the additive may be
contaminating drinking water across the United States.
-
- Presenting his findings at the annual meeting of the
American Chemical Society, Barreto said the most likely source of the MTBE
in the Midwest is tankers, storage tanks and pipelines that once carried
gasoline containing the additive.
-
- The additive is an oxygenate used in reformulated gasoline
to reduce smog but is due to be phased out by the end of 2002. Barreto
said MTBE should be banned completely.
-
- Corn-based ethanol is the only alternative oxygenate
and it is added to gasoline in parts of Indiana and Illinois, while Michigan
uses neither ethanol nor MTBE.
-
- MTBE, an additive some suspect of causing cancer, has
been found to leech into ground water throughout California, which is suing
for U.S. regulatory permission to make a cleaner gasoline with fewer smog-causing
emissions.
-
-
- Comment
-
- From Dan
9-1-1
-
- Hi Jeff,
-
- I just wanted to comment on the story that says MTBE
is not used in the midwest. I live in the southern Illinois city of Belleville,
which is near St Louis. At least one gas station in Belleville is selling
gas with MTBE added, because there is a sticker on the pump which says
that it contains MTBE. I first noticed this sticker 2-3 weeks ago. Obviously
the researcher who said MTBE is not used in the midwest is mistaken, or
they started adding it after the research was done. I just wanted to let
you know about this discrepancy.
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