Contamination of water resources by MTBE and the potentially adverse effects on human health have become major national issues in the United States and other countries. Since MTBE is very soluble in water and does not cling to soil well, it has a tendency to migrate much more quickly into water than other gasoline components. Small individual fuel spills and storm water runoff contribute to low levels of MTBE in water supplies. Detection of MTBE at higher concentrations usually results from leaking underground or aboveground fuel storage tanks and pipelines. The momentum to either curtail or ban MTBE's use as a gasoline additive has begun to build, at least in the United States. But, many questions concerning the use of fuel additives remain unanswered. Should Congress change the section of the CAA that was, at least in part, intended to expand ethanol markets but wound up boosting MTBE sales? Will substituting one mandate for another be an ultimate solution to air and water quality problems? Should the decision be left to states? And how about other countries in the world? If MTBE is out, what is in? This new report assesses the key cost and performance characteristics for ten potential fuel oxygenates. The following parameters were considered: - Physical Properties
- Heat of Combustion
- Solubility in Water
- Toxicological Property
- Ecological Property
- Blending Properties
- (R+M)/2
- RVP
- Volume Percent at 2.7 Weight Percent Oxygen
- Economics
- Cost of Capital
- Cost of Production
- Cost of Production Per Octane Value
The figure below illustrates the various oxygenates examined as well as some of the parameters considered. 
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