Methyl tert-butyl ether in ground and surface water of the United States: National-scale relations between MTBE occurrence in surface and ground water and MTBE use in gasoline

The detection frequency of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in ground and surface water of the United States is positively related to the content of MTBE in gasoline in various metropolitan areas of the U.S. The frequency of detection of MTBE is generally higher in areas that use larger amounts of MTBE in gasoline. Sampling of surface and ground water by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program between 1993 and 1998 revealed a frequent detection of low concentrations of MTBE. In this analysis, data from several national-scale gasoline surveys are examined and data from one survey that is most extensive in geographic and temporal coverage is used to relate the detection of MTBE in ground and surface water to the volumetric content of MTBE in gasoline.