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yam.,i CALIFORNIA RE+ NAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL Bo? CaUEPA <br /> CENTRAL VALLEtTREGION .. <br /> f 3443 ROutic Road,Sate A <br /> sa'==CnW'CA 95827-3098 - -.•. <br /> T Phane(916)255-3000 - ?cs R isms Gwe <br /> FAX(916)255-3015 �C' _ <br /> 18 July 1997 <br /> Revised 30 August 1997 <br /> To Whom It May Concern <br /> AC-qALYSIs REQUIRED FOR OXYGENATE COMPOUNDS USED IN CALIFORNIA <br /> GASOLINE-EPA METHOD 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 TPH 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. The list includes, in order of <br /> analytical identification: <br /> 1. Methanol <br /> 2- Ethanol <br /> 3. Tertiary Butyl Alcohol (TBA) <br /> 4. NtrBE <br /> 5. Di-isopropyl ether (DIFE) <br /> 6. Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether(ELBE) <br /> 7. Tertiary Amyl Methyl Ether (TACHE) <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,TAT has been added to California fuels,since 1995. DIFE has been <br /> used on the East Coast,but recently has been found in Southern California ground water(May <br /> 1997) and San Joaquin County-(August 1997)_ TBA has been 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,TAME may co-elute with <br /> benzene in the EPA-8020 analytical method commonly used today. Therefore,we believe that <br /> Mass Spectrophotometry (M5) is the most definitive procedure to determine oxygenate <br /> compounds. NLS will likely increase the cost of sample analysis;but,until another <br /> comprehensive analytical method is developed that can distinguish between the compounds, <br /> we believe that EPA Method 8260 is the most reliable,readily available procedure for <br /> laboratories. Completion of proposed studies on analytical procedures for oxygenate <br /> compounds by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, under contract to the State <br /> Water Resources Control Board, should provide additional guidance by early 1998- <br /> Rerycled Papp 0w�n is to pesem mrd m the quaMy ofCaBfar 'x�retowcex and <br /> creme Jin plow abmtlon and qfT rat fw the bengit afp a andfi Shu <br />