The Next MTBE: Contamination from fuel additives could spread

The recent political debates on the use of two common gasoline additives, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethanol, suggest that refiners may have to rely more on alternative chemicals for oxygenating gas and reducing smog.

A University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) research group has compared the in-ground behavior of MTBE, four alternatives, and basic gasoline constituents, such as benzene.