Oberlin Water Has Low MTBE Levels

To the Editors:

The chemical compound methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is an oxygenate added to gasoline to improve combustion. Lately, policy-makers and scientists have been concerned about MTBE because it has been found in drinking water, ground water, and surface water. It enters the environment mainly by way of gasoline storage tank leaks and spills, and the EPA has given MTBE the status of a “potential human carcinogen.” MTBE pollution is a widespread problem, but we did not know how Oberlin, Ohio was affected. For our senior research project in the Chemistry Department, we quantified the amount of MTBE in the surface water surrounding the town of Oberlin. Specifically, we tested samples from Plum Creek, Black River, puddles near gasoline stations and faucets in the Science Center.
We determined the levels of MTBE in water by first concentrating the traces of MTBE onto a fiber using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) and then measuring the amount of MTBE using an instrument called a gas chromatograph-mass spectrophotometer (GC-MS). The GC-MS is one of the newest pieces of equipment in the Science Center so it was an intellectual treat to be two of the first students to use it. When MTBE is passed through the instrument, the chemical produces a unique response that makes it identifiable; the resulting mass spectrum can be thought of as a chemical finger print.
We found that, among the things Oberlin has going well for it right now, our water has very low concentrations of MTBE. In all of our samples, the concentration of MTBE was below our detection limit (1 ppb) and well below the EPA control level (20 ppb). This is very good news for the citizens of Oberlin, and we are proud to present our results to you.

–Anique Olivier
College senior
–Beth Verson
College senior