> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erik Quackenbush [mailto:erik@midwestfilter.com]
<snip>
> You're right, MMT does work much better as octane booster
> than toluene and
> it does prevent valve seat recession. It is also quite
> unpopular with many
> environmental groups.
Right. In almost 10 years of trying, they have yet to show _any_ health
problems with using MMT in gasoline. That's not to say there aren't any,
just that they must be hard to find. Note please that manganese, one of the
main elements in MMT, and the major concern of the environmental groups
(after they gave up on claiming MMT increased other pollutants from car
engines), is an essential nutrient for humans, and the 12th most abundant
element on the planet. Check out the American Council on Science and
Health's article at http://www.acsh.org/publications/story/mmt/index.html
and the US Environmental Protection Agency's statement at
http://www.edf.org/pubs/NewsReleases/1996/Mar/e_epa.html
OTOH, Toluene is known to be quite toxic, with an reported lethal oral
dosage (LDLo) of 50mg/kg, meaning 5 grams (about 1/6 of an ounce) could kill
an average human adult. Lower dosages lead to other problems, including
birth defects and liver disease. emedicine.com has a good article at
http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic594.htm . Where I live, any product
containing toluene is required by law to have a warning that : "This product
contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth
defects, or other reproductive harm."
Randall
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