MTBE concerns

[SacreBleu]

1) Is the MTBE addition to gasoline producing exhaust emissions which are harmful to the health (including cancer)? I am not talking about gasoline in contact with the skin, just wondering if the MTBE causes levels of any unhealthy gases or particulates in the atmosphere. I live in the Phoenix area, and the air can get very smoggy.

2) Does the MTBE addition (I think it is about 10%) cause a drop in fuel economy?

 

[drwebb]

1) Oxygenates including MTBE are added to gasoline in air quality non-attainment areas in an effort to reduce ground-level ozone precursers produced by automobile emissions. Ozone is unhealthy to breathe, especially for people with asthma or emphasema (sp?), so the intent is to reduce air pollution and not increase it. The effectiveness of MTBE at this is a topic still debated.

2) Proponents say any drop in fuel economy is negligible. Oxygenates have lower calorific content than the gasoline they replace (see previous posts in the forum) so that would tend to increase fuel consumption. MTBE is also an octane enhancer, so if the ignition controller advanced the timing it could counteract this somewhat. My own experience has left me believing I get poorer fuel economy with oxygenated gasoline.

 

[SacreBleu]

drwebb,
Thanks for the info. I recalled a Federal Gov't ban on MTBE some years ago, and was trying to get some opinions.

 

[ctmtwilliams]

Here in California, the regulatory agencies have the environmental industry chasing MTBE in groundwater all over the state. Although it isn’t known if MTBE actually is carcinogenic (MTBE is listed as a SUSPECTED carcinogen), preliminary clean up standards have been established. So in all reality millions of dollars are being spent to clean up something that is perceived as potentially being a problem. We are currently being asked to analyze for other oxygenates, but as of yet aren’t being asked to remediate them. Now, as far as MTBE in air and emissions, I have yet to hear of anything.

 

[1Bluegrass]

This may not be very high on consideration but the smell is enough to make many people sick.
Also there are people that are easily driven into serious Bronchial problems from the vapors.
I know this first hand.
N.J. made MTBE manditory and PA. tried it some years ago. Now neither uses it although the additives they put in the gas now is sometimes just as bad from the health stand point.