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47984 
Journal Article 
Results of long-term experimental studies on the carcinogenicity of methyl tert-butyl ether 
Belpoggi, F; Soffritti, M; Filippini, F; Maltoni, C 
1997 
Yes 
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
ISSN: 0077-8923
EISSN: 1749-6632 
837 
77-95 
English 
9472331 
WOS:000072113300004 
Methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was submitted to long-term carcinogenicity bioassays on Sprague-Dawley rats. The test compound was delivered in olive oil by stomach tube (gavage), at the doses of 1000, 250, and 0 mg/kg b.w. to groups of 60 males and 60 females, once daily, 4 times weekly, for 104 weeks. All animals were kept under control until spontaneous death. MTBE was found to cause in males an increased incidence of Leydig cell testicular tumors in the group treated with the higher dose, and in females a dose-related increase of leukemias, an increase of dysplastic proliferations of lymphoreticular tissues, and also an increase of uterine sarcomas at the lower tested dose. On the basis of the presented data, MTBE must be considered a potential carcinogen.