MTBE concentrations in ambient air in the vicinity of service stations

Ambient air concentrations of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) were monitored in the vicinity of two self-service stations in May–June and October, 1995. These stations (one urban and one roadside) were located in southwestern Finland and were equipped with “stage I” vapour recovery systems. All the gasoline blends dispensed during the study (95, 98 and 99 RON) contained 11% MTBE. The measurements were carried out 24 h day-1 at stationary sampling points located at the four main compass points on the service station perimeter (about 50 m from the centre of the forecourt). The air samples were collected in charcoal tubes and analysed in laboratory by gas chromatography using mass-selective detection. The concentrations in individual samples ranged from 0.5 to 121 μg m-3, and the highest daily concentrations were usually obtained at the downwind sampling points. The arithmetic mean concentrations for each of the four-day sampling periods were: 7.5 μg m-3 (station 1/May–June), 4.1 μg/m3 (station 1/October), 12.4 μg m-3 (station 2/June) and 14.1 μg m-3 (station 2/October). The mean concentrations measured in the centre of the pump island (only daytime sampling) ranged from 247 to 1347 μg m -3. The levels of MTBE are station-specific and dependent on many factors, such as volumes of gasolines sold, wind speed, exhaust emissions from passing traffic, and deliveries of gasoline to the station. The mean wind speeds were between 0.7 and 1.5 m s-1, and the temperatures were above 22°C in summer and about 10°C in October. The volume of gasoline sold at the urban service station, station 2, was twice that at the roadside service station, station 1. There was one road with high traffic density adjacent to station 1 and two such roads at station 2. Gasoline was delivered twice to station 1 and 3 times to station 2 during the study.