"Although the data on occupational exposure available to the Task Force were limited, they provided an indication of the magnitude of the potential exposure for workers. Occupational exposure may occur during MTBE production and loading, when handling gasoline containing MTBE or when working as a service station attendant or garage worker. The relevant route of such exposure is inhalation. Whereas MTBE production is associated with relatively low exposures (< 10 mg/m3), loading operations may result in higher exposures (mean values of 20 mg/m3, peak values of about 200 mg/m3). Mean short-term exposure measurements for loading and delivery of gasoline containing 10-15% MTBE were between 13 and 91 mg/m3 with a maximum of 226 mg/m3. Since most fuels in Europe currently contain only 2 to 5% MTBE as an octane enhancer, these findings were considered by the Task Force to be a 'worst case' situation. For service station attendants and garage workers in the US, the mean exposures were < 3.5 mg/m3 and 7.56 mg/m3, respectively. The most likely source of consumer exposure to MTBE a rises from gasoline evaporation during car refuelling and its duration us very short. A study of consumer exposure in Finland measured concentrations of 6.0-7.5 mg/m3 at service stations delivering gasoline containing 11% of MTBE. ..."

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