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Lead Scavengers
Lead scavengers, ethylene dibromide (EDB) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), also known as ethylene dichloride (EDC), were necessary additives in leaded gasoline to prevent buildup of lead oxide deposits within internal combustion engines. With the phase out of leaded gasoline the conventional wisdom was that lead scavengers and alkyl lead compounds would no longer occur in the environment as the result of leaks from underground storage tank (UST) systems. Data however, indicate that lead scavengers may persist for long periods of time in certain groundwater environments and thus may still be present at UST sites that were in operation through the end of the 1980s. Leaded fuel containing lead scavengers is still used for certain off-road applications such as automobile racing and also aviation fuel (Avgas). EPA is currently working with states to determine the scope and magnitude of the occurrence of lead scavengers at leaking UST sites.