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CaUEPA <br /> CALIFORNIA REGIONALIWATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD <br /> CENTRAL VALLEY REGION <br /> 3443 Routier Road.Suite?. <br /> Saa=ento,CA 95827-3098 <br /> �•�'"' �� phone(916)255-3000 Pda wax=Governor <br /> FAX(916)255-3015 <br /> 13 July 1997 <br /> Revised 30 August 19972 <br /> To Whom It May Concern <br /> ANALYSIS REQUIRED FOR OXYGF—NATE COMPOUNDS USED IN CALIFORNIA <br /> GASOLINE- EPA INJ=OD 8260 (8240-B and 8020) <br /> At a June 1997 meeting at the Department of Health Services in Berkeley,the statewide <br /> analytical methods committee for establishing analytical T PH and additive standards,was <br /> informed that oxygenate compounds,which may constitute a threat to groundwater,other <br /> than MTBE,have been and are being added to gasoline. T"ne list includes,in order of <br /> analytical identification <br /> 1. Methanol <br /> Z Ethanol <br /> 3. Tertiary Butyl Alcohol (TBA) <br /> 4. MTBE <br /> 5. Di-isopropyl ether (DIPE) <br /> 6. Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (EIRE) <br /> 7. Tertiary Amyl Methyl Ether (T SME) <br /> The first three are alcohols and the latter four are ether compounds. Ethanol has been used for <br /> several years in California. MTBE, as you know,has been used as an octane enhancer additive <br /> since the late 1970s and is now used at a higher percentage as an oxygenate in gasoline. Now <br /> we have learned that,T-AIv1E has been added to California.fuels,since 1995_ DIPE has been <br /> used on the East Coast,but recently has been found in Southern California ;round water (May <br /> 1997) and San Joaquin County(August 1997). TBA has bean found in ground water at a <br /> Gasoline service station site in San Joaquin County(1100 ppb,August 1997). To date,we have <br /> no information regarding the use of ETBE in California. <br /> The introduction of these additives present analytical problems for laboratories because the <br /> multiple analytes can co-elute from the column. For instance,TAlME may co-elute with <br /> benzene in the EPA-8020 analytical method commonly used today. Therefore,we believe that <br /> Mass Spectrometry(MS) is the most definitive procedure to determine oxygenate compounds. <br /> MS will likely increase the cost of sample analysis;but,until another comprehensive analytical <br /> method is developed that can distinguish between the compound, we believe that EPA <br /> Method 8260 is the most reliable,readily available procedure for laboratories. Completion of <br /> proposed studies on analytical procedures for oxygenate compounds by the Lawrence <br /> Livermore National Laboratory, under contract to the State Water Resources Control Board, <br /> should provide additional guidance by early 1998. <br /> R-,ded pap- Our musing u to preserve and a mauve the quality ofCalifornia's water resororrs,mid <br /> entire their proper allocuran and egi=nt use for the benefit ofpresertt mrd frame generatfonr. <br />