Environmental Health Science - Reducing Air Pollution through the use of Oxygenated Gasoline

Reducing Air Pollution Through the Use of Oxygenated Gasoline

2006

Reducing Air Pollution through the use of Oxygenated Gasoline Poor air quality and potential health concerns promoted the creation of the Clean Air Act . Cities with the worst air pollution started using a new type of gasoline

The Clean Air Act of 1990 permitted the use of oxygenated gasoline ( Gasoline , 2006 . Oxygenated gasoline contains hydrocarbons with one or more oxygen atoms . Oxygen causes gasoline to burn cleaner . There are different types of additives used in gasoline such as ethanol methyl tert-butly

ether (MTBE ) and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE ( MTBE , Oxygenates , and Motor Gasoline , 2006 . In 1981 the Environmental Protection Agency allowed MTBE to use in gasoline up to eleven percent per volume and then raised that percentage to fifteen percent in 1988 . The oxygenates can reduce air pollution . In cities with the heaviest air smog such as Los Angeles , Chicago and New York oxygenates seemed to have provided an economically efficient solution to their air quality problems ( Control of MTBE in Gasoline , 2006 . How ever recent evidence has caused many to take a look at some of the additives as potential health concerns

The cities with the worst air quality are required by the Clean Air Act to have reformulated gasoline . There are seventeen states plus the District of Columbia with mandatory reformulated gasoline ( EPA Commission Facts , 2006 . There are two types of oxygenated programs The winter oxygenated program is for cities with poor air quality and only during the winter months . This was created in 1992 and the additive used is ethanol . The second program is a year round program for the cities with the worst air quality and the additive used in 87 of the gasoline is MTBE (Methyl tert-Butly Ether ( Gasoline , 2006 . Thirty percent of the gasoline used is reformulated and approximately 86 uses MTBE ( Gas , 2006

Methyl tert-Butly Ether (MTBE ) is formed from a reaction between isobutylene and methanol . MBTE is produced in high quantities and mainly used as a gasoline additive ( Gasoline , 2006 . A small portion of MBTE is also used in dissolving gallstones ( Methyl tert Butyl Ether 2006 . MBTE had been around since 1979 when it replaced lead in gasoline ( Gasoline , 2006 . Although the MBTE does reduce the release of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide into the air , there are some negative characteristics associated with this gas additive MBTE is highly flammable in liquid form . There is a distinctive taste and odor associated with MBTE . This makes it easy to detect MBTE in drinking water . In its vapor form MBTE can be broken down by sunlight and quickly evaporates from open containers . MBTE can leak into the underground water supply and can stay there for an indefinite amount of time . Fortunately , there is no evidence indicating that MBTE builds up in animals or plants ( Tox FAQs for Methyl tert Butyl Ether (MTBE 2006

MBTE may or may not build up in animals , but there are some acute and chronic effects of MBTE...