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In early 2001, the US Environmental Protection Agency is expected to adopt asecondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) for methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE)in drinking water. This article presents the first and only consumer study todetermine the odor threshold of MTBE in drinking water. A protocol, based on theAmerican Society for Testing and Materials method E679-91, was augmented toaddress concerns raised by interested stakeholders. The study, which wasconducted according to the final odor threshold protocol, used a panel of 57consumers and yielded an odor threshold for MTBE in drinking water of 15 ug/L.The 15 ug/L threshold is the geometric mean of the individual thresholds for eachof the 57 consumers. This consumer panel threshold is consistent with the trainedpanel thresholds reported from five other taste and/or odor studies, which rangedfrom 13.5 to 45.5 ug/L. Consequently, the authors recommend using the methodologypresented in this article as the scientific basis for establishing the federalSMCL for MTBE and other organic chemicals in drinking water. Includes 26 references, tables, figures.

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Edition: Vol. 93 - No. 3 Published: 03/01/2001 Number of Pages: 11 File Size: 1 file , 180 KB