Exposure to methyl tertiary-butyl ether from oxygenated gasoline in Stamford, Connecticut

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Archives of Environmental Health

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1995.9940385· OSTI ID:161657

White, M C; Johnson, C A; Ashley, D L ^[1]

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1. National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, GA (United States); and others

In 1993, state health officials in Connecticut invited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist in an investigation of exposure to methyl tertiary-butyl ether in oxygenated gasoline in Stamford, Connecticut. Venous blood samples were collected from 14 commuters and from 30 other persons who worked in the vicinity of traffic or automobiles, and the samples were analyzed for methyl tertiary-butyl ether, tertiary-butyl alcohol, benzene, m-/p-xylene, o-xylene, and toluene. The highest levels of methyl tertiary-butyl ether in blood were measured among gasoline service station attendants (median = 15 {mu}g/l, range = 7.6-28.9 {mu}g/l). Blood levels of methyl tertiary-butyl ether were highly variable among persons who worked in car-repair shops (median = 1.73 {mu}g/l, range = 0.17-36.7 {mu}/l) and were generally lowest among commuters (median = 0.11 {mu}g/l, range = <0.05-2.60 {mu}g/l). Blood levels of methyl tertiary-butyl ether were correlated strongly with personal-breathing-zone samples of methyl tertiary-butyl ether and blood levels of other volatile organic compounds. This exposure information should prove useful to a future risk analysis of this high-volume chemical. 18 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 161657
• Journal Information: Archives of Environmental Health, Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Health Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 50; ISSN 0003-9896; ISSN AEHLAU
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
AUTOMOBILES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BLOOD
BUTYL ETHER
CARBON MONOXIDE
CONNECTICUT
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
EXHAUST GASES
GASOLINE
OXYGEN ENRICHMENT
SAMPLING