In early 2001, the US Environmental Protection Agency is expected to adopt a
secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) for methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE)
in drinking water. This article presents the first and only consumer study to
determine the odor threshold of MTBE in drinking water. A protocol, based on the
American Society for Testing and Materials method E679-91, was augmented to
address concerns raised by interested stakeholders. The study, which was
conducted according to the final odor threshold protocol, used a panel of 57
consumers and yielded an odor threshold for MTBE in drinking water of 15 ug/L.
The 15 ug/L threshold is the geometric mean of the individual thresholds for each
of the 57 consumers. This consumer panel threshold is consistent with the trained
panel thresholds reported from five other taste and/or odor studies, which ranged
from 13.5 to 45.5 ug/L. Consequently, the authors recommend using the methodology
presented in this article as the scientific basis for establishing the federal
SMCL for MTBE and other organic chemicals in drinking water. Includes 26 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. 93 - No. 3 |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 180 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 11 |
| Published : | 03/01/2001 |
