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Health concerns
Many of the non-aliphatic hydrocarbons naturally present in gasoline (especially
aromatic ones like benzene), as well as many anti-knocking additives, are
carcinogenic. Because of this, any large-scale or ongoing leaks of gasoline pose
a threat to the public's health and the environment, should the gasoline reach a
public supply of drinking water. The chief risks of such leaks come not from
vehicles, but from gasoline delivery truck accidents and leaks from storage
tanks. Because of this risk, most (underground) storage tanks now have extensive
measures in place to detect and prevent any such leaks, such as sacrificial
anodes. Gasoline is rather volatile (meaning it readily evaporates), requiring
that storage tanks on land and in vehicles be properly sealed. The high
volatility also means that it will easily ignite in cold weather conditions,
unlike diesel for example. Appropriate venting is needed to ensure the level of
pressure is similar on the inside and outside. Gasoline also reacts dangerously
with certain common chemicals.
Gasoline is also one of the sources of pollutant gases. Even gasoline which does
not contain lead or sulfur compounds produces carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides,
and carbon monoxide in the exhaust of the engine which is running on it.
Furthermore, unburnt gasoline and evaporation from the tank, when in the
atmosphere, react in sunlight to produce photochemical smog. Addition of ethanol
increases the volatility of gasoline.
Through misuse as an inhalant, gasoline also contributes to damage to health.
Petrol sniffing is a common way of obtaining a high for many people and has
become epidemic in many poorer communities such as with Indigenous Australians
and Indigenous groups in America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some
Pacific Islands. In response, Opal fuel has been developed by the BP Kwinana
Refinery in Australia, and contains only 5% aromatics (unlike the usual 25%)
which inhibits the effects of inhalation.
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