Private wells in Belknap County have a high rate of the gasoline additive methyl tertiary-butyl enter (MtBE), according to a recent study on MtBE prevalence in public and private wells in New Hampshire conducted by the United States Geological Survey.
The study, released earlier this year, revealed that, while MtBE has been banned in New Hampshire for more than a year, the chemical compound still lingers in low levels in public and private wells in the state.
According to the Geological Survey, the study, which entailed the sampling of more than 800 wells between 2005 and 2006, represents the first comprehensive evaluation of MtBE in untreated groundwater from public and private drinking-water wells in the state.
The study revealed that MtBE well contamination is widespread, having been found in 18 percent of the public wells and nine percent of the private wells tested.
Though pervasive, levels of the gasoline additive were generally low, with a majority of wells tested having MtBE levels of less than one ppb when 13 parts per billion is the state drinking water standard. About two percent of the public wells and one percent of the private wells sampled had levels greater than 13 ppb.
There are no federal standards for MtBE; states set their own levels.
The Environmental Protection Agency states that drinking water with MtBE levels of between 20 and 40 parts per billion will not cause an unpleasant taste or odor and will not cause a significant health risk.
According to the EPA, the majority of research done on MtBE has focused on effects associated with its inhalation. Animals that inhaled high concentrations of MtBE developed cancer or experienced other health effects, such as kidney and liver damage.
The EPA's Office of Water has concluded that existing research is adequate to estimate the potential health risks of low-level MtBE exposure in drinking water; but some research supports the conclusion that MtBE is a potential human carcinogen at high doses.
Full Story: http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080420/GJNEWS02/671191834/-1/CITNEWS
