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. F� y 30 August 1997 Qxygenate Xnalysis p " r 2 € ��J y { use The problem of identifying which oxgenates are present is further compoundedgeographic b c e oil p gasoline around the state and then trade gasoline between a gr p refineries ship d will For instance, if gasoline is needed in the San Fra cisco Ba area and,ay area exchanO�Genen� ogC obtain some gasoline from, say, Generic Oil in they - receive some BogCo gasoline in Southern California. The result a particular gas t T aat w ma. be used o not know wh�i oxygenate compound is in the gasoline TAl ,rather than MTBE,will end up in the ground Generic,but, because of this swapping, M , ' water at a BogCo site. Research recently completed by DuPont-Dow (http-//www.duPOnt-dow'com rodu� l� nl ht nz) show that.oxygenates maybe incompatible with some a TBF, a re short term (68 hours) and " tank piping. one.test,using several concentrations of MTBE,we showed swelling could occur with some elastomers at current gasoline mixture levels. , senate additives; and, over a Presumably, this will be true,to some extent, all ether reby .: g oxygenated = longer time, conceivably,cause the failure of the seaLsn err . teolderats or material' gasoline into the environment. We are particularly co used to-upgrade tanks may not be compatible with the oxygenates and may fail due to the high concentrations of oxygenates in the alternative fuel sources. On 14 August 1997, a workshop was conducted at the Sacramento office of this Regioinal r Board, attended by representatives of Regional and State Boards,Local 'Implementing. " .. Agencies, analytical Laboratories and the petroleum industry. The objective was to provide w guidance to the regulated community on how and where to analyze for the oxygenated compounds in gasoline until definitive protocol can be established in several months. The goal was to allow closure of underground tank sites with assurances that the interim methodology can detect and quantify oxygenates. The workshop attendees concurred Ythat the methyl and ethyl alcohols can't be detected by y EPA Method.8260 with certainty and that detection limits'for,methyl and ethyl alcohols are -` about two orders of magnitude higher than TBA and the ethers.. Also,with the exception-of one oil company and special, alternative fuel vehicles (including the State of California`' automobiles), ethanol and methanol are used"infrequentiy in California, and can be isolated by ation and the more accurate analyticalmethods thods used. Therefore, at this time, unless ethanol' or methanol are specifically requested,we are requirmg soil and water analysis only for TBA- and the ether compounds by EPA Method 8260 in order to determine which oxygenated compound is present. Presence or absence of the oxygenate must.be reported'. .However,because free product or high petroleum concentrations raisethe detection limits of the oxygenates, the oxygenates cannot be detected with certaiiity. Therefore, at this time,'we do not recommend sampling where product is present on groundwater.