A Water Extraction, Static Headspace Sampling, Gas Chromatographic Method to Determine MTBE in Heating Oil and Diesel Fuel
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- 作者：Timothy M. Cummins ; Gary A. Robbins ; Brent J. Henebry ; C. Ryan Goad ; Edward J. Gilbert ; Michael E. Miller ; and James D. Stuart
- 刊名：Environmental Science & Technology
- 出版年：2001
- 出版时间：March 15, 2001
- 年：2001
- 卷：35
- 期：6
- 页码：1202 - 1208
- 全文大小：79K
- 年卷期：v.35,no.6(March 15, 2001)
- ISSN：1520-5851
文摘
A method was developed to determine the fuel/waterpartition coefficient (KMTBE) of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)and then used to determine low parts per millionconcentrations of MTBE in samples of heating oil anddiesel fuel. A special capillary column designed for theseparation of MTBE and to prevent coelution and a gaschromatograph equipped with a photoionization detector(PID) were used. MTBE was partitioned from fuel samplesinto water during an equilibration step. The water sampleswere then analyzed for MTBE using static headspace samplingfollowed by GC/PID. A mathematical relationship wasderived that allowed a KMTBE value to be calculated byutilizing the fuel/water volume ratios and the correspondingPID signal. KMTBE values were found to range linearlyfrom 3.8 to 10.9 over a temperature range of 5-40 
C. Thisanalysis method gave a MDL of 0.7 ppm MTBE in thefuel and a relative average accuracy of ±15% by comparisonwith an independent laboratory using purge and trap GC/MS analysis. MTBE was found in home heating oil inresidential tanks and in diesel fuel at service stationsthroughout the state of Connecticut. The levels of MTBEwere found to vary significantly with time. Heating oil anddiesel fuel from terminals were also found to containMTBE. This research suggests that the reported widespreadcontamination of groundwater with MTBE may also bedue to heating oil and diesel fuel releases to the environment.
C. Thisanalysis method gave a MDL of 0.7 ppm MTBE in thefuel and a relative average accuracy of ±15% by comparisonwith an independent laboratory using purge and trap GC/MS analysis. MTBE was found in home heating oil inresidential tanks and in diesel fuel at service stationsthroughout the state of Connecticut. The levels of MTBEwere found to vary significantly with time. Heating oil anddiesel fuel from terminals were also found to containMTBE. This research suggests that the reported widespreadcontamination of groundwater with MTBE may also bedue to heating oil and diesel fuel releases to the environment.