Spatial variability of volatile organic compounds in streams on Long Island, New York, and in New Jersey

Abstract

Background Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are found in almost all natural and synthetic materials and are commonly used in fuels, fuel additives, solvents, perfumes, flavor additives, and deodorants. Potential health hazards and environmental degradation resulting from the widespread use of VOCs has prompted increasing concern among scientists, industry, and the general public. Initial interest in VOCs was related to their presence in the atmosphere. In the 1950s it was discovered that the photooxidation of VOCs in the presence of nitrous oxides resulted in air pollution known as "smog" (Bloemen and Burn, 1993). Later, VOCs in the stratosphere were found to be related to ozone depletion over the Antarctic and to potential global climate change (Bloemen and Burn, 1993). VOCs introduced to the environment by large accidental spills of crude petroleum and fuel products and concentrated in industrial waste also received considerable attention (Schwarzenbach and others, 1993). More recently, however, interest in ambient levels of VOCs in air, soil, and natural waters has increased, partly as a result of unexplained locally elevated cancer rates and other health complaints. The relation between these reports and the presence of VOCs at low concentrations in the environment is an area of active debate and research. One of the long-term goals of the U. S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program is to document the presence and identify possible sources of contaminants in the Nation's water resources. The Long Island-New Jersey (LINJ) coastal drainages study is one of 59 planned investigations that constitute the NAWQA program.

Aerobic Mineralization of MTBE and tert-Butyl Alcohol by Stream-Bed Sediment Microorganisms

“…Because approximately 60% of the drinking water consumed in the continental United States comes from surface water systems, the potential contamination of these systems with MTBE and TBA is particularly problematic. Although contamination of surface water sources with fuel oxygenates can result from atmospheric deposition (3,10), stormwater runoff (3,8,11,12), and releases directly to surface water systems by industrial (3,8,9,12) and recreational activities (3), the dissolved concentrations of MTBE associated with these processes are reported to be quite low (less than 10 µg/L; 3,10,11). In contrast, leakage from underground gasoline storage tanks and subsequent discharge of contaminated groundwater can deliver high concentrations of fuel oxygenates to local surface water systems (3, 4, 13, this study).…”

Methyl t -Butyl Ether Mineralization in Surface-Water Sediment Microcosms under Denitrifying Conditions

“…Consequently, engineered systems are being developed to support aerobic MTBE biodegradation under otherwise anoxic conditions (18). Unfortunately, recent groundwater and surface-water quality assessments indicate that environmental MTBE contamination is so widespread (1,2,4,7,13,16,(22)(23)(24)(25) that engineered solutions are realistic only for a small percentage of contaminated sites. For the remaining sites where natural attenuation would be expected to be the primary method for environmental restoration, identifying the conditions which support efficient anaerobic degradation of MTBE to nontoxic products is crucial.…”

“…Pervasive contamination of groundwater (2,7,(22)(23)(24) and surface-water systems (1,4,13,16,25) by the fuel oxygenate methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) makes crucial an accurate understanding of its environmental fate. A drinking water advisory exists for MTBE for taste and odor of 20 to 40 g/liter (26), and MTBE is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a possible human carcinogen (7,26).…”