BTEX

Definitions

BTEX - "BTEX is the term used for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene-volatile aromatic compounds typically found in petroleum product, such as gasoline and diesel fuel." - Environmental Protection Agency, 2010

BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) - "Volatile, monocyclic aromatic compounds present in coal tar, petroleum products, and various organic chemical product formulations (Cohen and Mercer, 1993). These are the most soluble of the major gasoline compounds and, therefore, are common indicators of gasoline contamination." - Wilson and Moore, 1998

BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) - "BTEX is a group of chemicals which is quantified by one analytical method...Toluene, ethylbenzene, and the three isomers of xylene are colourless liquids, immiscible with water but miscible with organic solvents. They have a characteristic strong odour and are highly flammable." - European Environment Agency, 2010

Related Definitions

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program Research on BTEX and other VOCs

• Crude Oil Contamination in the Shallow Subsurface - Bemidji, Minnesota
• Processes Affecting the Natural Attenuation of Fuels in Ground Water
• Fuel Oxygenates - Laurel Bay, South Carolina
• Gasoline - Galloway Township, New Jersey
• Fate of Landfill Leachate - Norman Municipal Landfill, Norman, Oklahoma

USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program Remediation of BTEX and other VOC-Related Activities

• Biodegradation of Charcoal Production Wastes, Kingsford, Michigan
• Oil Recovery Performance Monitoring, Bemidji, MN
• Oxygen-Release Compound Remediation Tests, Laurel Bay, SC
• Quanitfying Natural Attenuation at the Plume Scale, Galloway Township, NJ;
  Laurel Bay, SC
• Vapor Extraction Optimization, Galloway Township, NJ

USGS Information on VOCs

• NAWQA National Synthesis--Volatile Organic Compounds
• Search the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program's Bibliography for "BTEX"

Related Headlines

• Using Oxygen to Enhance Biodegradation of Contaminants – Lessons Learned
• Using Oxygen to Clean Up Ground-Water Contamination

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Where can I get information on the health effects of toxic substances in water?
• Where can I find information on water-quality criteria for streams and other water bodies?
• Where can I find information on the toxicity of chemicals?
• Where can I find data on chemical and physical constants that control environmental fate

BTEX Toxicological Information from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

• Interaction Profile for Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes (BTEX), Draft, For Public Comment
• ToxFAQs for Benzene
• Toxicological Profile for Benzene
• ToxFAQs for Ethylbenzene
• Toxicological Profile for Ethylbenzene
• ToxFAQs for Toluene
• Toxicological Profile for Toluene
• ToxFAQs for Xylenes
• Toxicological Profile for Xylenes

References

Cohen, R.M., and Mercer, J.W., 1993, DNAPL site evaluation: C.K Smoley, 384 p.

European Environment Agency, 2010, Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (as BTEX): European Environment Agency, access date May 26, 2010.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010, Waste and cleanup risk assesment glossary: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, access date May 26, 2010.

Wilson, W.E., and Moore, J.E., 1998, Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, in Wilson, W.E., and Moore, J.E., eds., Glossary of Hydrology: Alexandria, Virginia, American Geological Institute, p. 20.

Back to Previous Page