Highest Concentration Of Specific Ground Water Contamination In Northeast U.S.

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey examined the occurrence of MTBE and gasoline hydrocarbons in ground water throughout the United States and found that nationwide, MTBE was detected as frequently as some other chemicals that have been used for longer periods of time. MTBE was detected more frequently in urban areas compared to other land use types, such as agricultural areas, putting shallow ground water supply in these areas at risk for contamination.

"It is not known if contamination of shallow ground water in urban areas will reach deeper aquifers that are generally used for supplying drinking water," states Michael J. Moran, lead researcher. "Few concentrations of MTBE in ground water exceed the current USEPA Drinking-Water Advisory. This means that most MTBE concentrations in ground water will not cause taste and odor concerns. However, low concentrations of MTBE in drinking water may have unforeseen health consequences."

Past research has shown that possible human health consequences as a result of MTBE contamination in drinking water include carcinogenesis and detrimental reproductive and developmental effects. Researchers say determining the factors related to the occurrence of MTBE, as in this study, may help to reveal the sources and pathways of MTBE to ground water, and the vulnerability of aquifers to MTBE contamination.

This study is published in the July-August issue of Ground Water. 

Michael Moran, Ph.D. has worked in the ground water field of earth science for 13 years. His degree is in geological engineering, specializing in ground water quality. For the last 10 years, he has worked as a ground water hydrologist for the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. 

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