MTBE pollution

[Christine]

I tell you about an article that puzzles me:

MTBE pollution - Oxygen compounds such as MTBE and ETBE, added to gasoline instead of lead, threaten French waters and soils. These compounds, produced from biomass, are added to gasolines to increase their octane number and reduce carbon monoxide emissions into the air. Today spared by this type of pollution because of the heavy use of diesel, France may soon be faced with the problem of these oxygenates because of the development of biofuels. Indeed the rate of additivation, currently lower than 2%, should amount to 5,75% in France because of the policy in favor of biofuels led by Europe.

Read the article : http://www.actualites-news-environnement.com/20060525-eaux-sols-mtbe.php

[jean63]

Well, here's an interesting piece of information: every time we remove a nuisance, we create another one.

It is questionable whether in this industrial world we must not accept once and for all that pollution exists and that we must adapt, do with the least polluting products possible (but as we do not know advance their harmfulness .... difficult to predict).

What should be deduced? we will not go back to pre-oil. It only remains to be fatalistic.

French waters and soils threatened by MTBE pollution

This chemical compound has been denounced as carcinogenic to humans. Studies to determine the effects of MTBE on aquatic life are rare. Those available indicate negative effects on the growth and reproduction of aquatic invertebrates and fish. Invertebrates and fish exposed to high concentrations of this substance may die. Exposure to MTBE slows the growth of algae. In high concentrations, this chemical acts as an algicide (it kills algae). A marine mussel species has been shown to tolerate high concentrations of MTBE, but has shown some irregularities in shell growth.

There are other oxygenates less used than MTBE. These are ETBE (ethyl tert-butyl ether), TAME (tert-amyl methyl ether), TBA (tert-butanol) and TAA (tert-amyl alcohol). The behavior of these compounds in the environment has been less studied than that of MTBE because of their more limited use on a global scale. However, their physicochemical characteristics are not very far from those of MTBE and the consequences of their uses should be of the same order.

These additives concern petrol, so LPG not so bad since it does not contain these additives that are intended to prevent premature wear of valve seats. I do not understand too much besides the history of the replacement of the lead since the motors left from 1990 approximately are succeptibles to do without the lead!
Indeed for the old gasoline engines that were to work at super leaded, I add a dose of special additive on which there is a green logo indicating that it is green.

I don't understand this lead replacement story since the new> 1990 engines are officially designed to run unleaded, so why a replacement ???? s I understand correctly it is because of the introduction of bio fuel ??? So the Brazilians are polluting their land with this additive?