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4A. Ground water and surface water contamination

1. Activity:

●4405

●

4408

●

4418

●4417

● 4416

●

4415

●4414

●4413

●

4411

●4410

●

4409

●4407

●

4419

●

4406

●4403

●

4402

●

4401

+

1258

Seepage and Weepage

		Figure 1

CH₃ – O - H

Methyl Alcohol

Seepage & Weepage: Ground Water Contamination Activity.

In the late 1970s, the Federal Government required that gasoline contain higher degree of oxygenation in an attempt to produce a cleaner burning fuel whose use would lead to less pollution. Petrochemical corporations produced MTBE, methyl tertiary butyl ether and Methyl Alcohol as additives to meet the federal mandate. The resulting fuels yield less energy per unit mass or volume and caused fuel prices to rise. Another negative result of adding these compounds to gasoline was that when they leak out of storage containers, they readily entered the water table. The reasons are their relatively low molecular masses and polar natures.

Gone Oil Company, Gonoco, operates a small service station on Wigwam Street. Since the early 1980s, Citizens groups suspected that the underground storage tanks at that station have leaked. Monitoring wells were drilled and water samples collected and tested on a yearly basis over 10 years. The results are listed in Table 1 below.

Test Results show presence or absence of (Octane/MTBE)

Well# 4/81 4/82 4/83 4/84 4/85 4/86 4/87 4/88 4/89 4/90 4/91

4401 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4402 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4403 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4404 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4405 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ ?

4406 0/0 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ +/+ ?

4407 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

Table 1

4408 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ ?

4409 0/0 0/0 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ ?

4410 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4411 0/0 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ ?

4412 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ ?

4413 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/+ 0/+ ?

4414 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4415 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4416 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ?

4417 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/+ 0/+ ?

4418 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ 0/+ ?

4419 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/+ ?

Questions for Seepage and Weepage Activity.

1. Trace the results indicated by the data in Table I.

2. Predict 1991 test results by analysis of the trend presented in the data.

3. Why is MTBE contamination widespread in 1990 however Octane is not detected until 1990?

4. Why is MBTE detected at test well 4413 in 1989 and in test well 4419 in 1990 but not at test well 4416 at all over the 9 test periods?

5. Should people who fish in the brook be concerned about the contamination?

6. Should the Oil Company be required to remediate?

Chemistry Connections:

1. Molar & Molecular Mass
2. Polar and Non-Polar Compounds & Solubility
3. Solutes and Solvents & Concentration
4. Classification of Organic compounds
5. Heat of Combustion and Molar Heat of Combustion.