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It’s 0.62% or less for gas.[1] [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7918986/#:~:text=Benzene%20content%20in%20gasoline%20is%20federally%20regulated%

by wil421 3y ago

It’s 0.62% or less for gas.[1] [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7918986/#:~:text=Benzene%20content%20in%20gasoline%20is%20federally%20regulated%2C%20with%20any%20refineries,benzene%20by%20volume%20%5B14%5D https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7918986/#:~:tex....

Robotbeat 3y ago
No, 0.62% is the average: Benzene content in gasoline is federally regulated, with any refineries or importers required to average less than or equal to 0.62% benzene by volume.” The very next sentence in your link mentions it can have up to 2%, as I mentioned: “Generally, gasoline in the United States is likely to contain 0.5%–2.0% benzene by volume [14,15].” 18% of gasoline’s weight is the BTEX aromatics, benzene, toluene, ethylene-benzene, and xylene. https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-additive-than-btex/#:~:text=BTEX%2C%20also%20known%20as%20aromatics,up%20to%20minimum%20octane%20standards https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-addit.... This may be done depending on the season to increase the octane of gasoline. An average of 18% of these aromatics is not what I’d call just trace amounts…
- jabl 3y ago
  Interesting that the regulations are done that way in terms of both an average and a maximum. I wonder how the average is determined, how many samples, and what is the size of a batch etc.? > 18% of gasoline’s weight is the BTEX aromatics, benzene, toluene, ethylene-benzene, and xylene. https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-addit https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-addit.... > This may be done depending on the season to increase the octane of gasoline. > An average of 18% of these aromatics is not what I’d call just trace amounts… Yes, BTEX is added to improve octane. It's also possible to increase octane by alkylation and isomerization, which produce branched alkanes which tend to be less toxic and burn cleaner than aromatics, but reformation/dehydrogenation which produces aromatics is cheaper.. But yes, while the other aromatics aren't exactly healthy, they're nowhere as dangerous as benzene. So it makes sense to minimize the amount of benzene via regulation, but be a bit less strict about the other aromatics. As an aside, a quick glance on that "fuelfreedom.org" site suggests they really like ethanol as a fuel additive, which makes me suspect they might be a front group for the corn ethanol lobby. So I'd be wary of taking what they say at face value.

by wil421 3y ago

Robotbeat 3y ago

No, 0.62% is the average: Benzene content in gasoline is federally regulated, with any refineries or importers required to average less than or equal to 0.62% benzene by volume.” The very next sentence in your link mentions it can have up to 2%, as I mentioned: “Generally, gasoline in the United States is likely to contain 0.5%–2.0% benzene by volume [14,15].” 18% of gasoline’s weight is the BTEX aromatics, benzene, toluene, ethylene-benzene, and xylene. https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-additive-than-btex/#:~:text=BTEX%2C%20also%20known%20as%20aromatics,up%20to%20minimum%20octane%20standards https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-addit.... This may be done depending on the season to increase the octane of gasoline. An average of 18% of these aromatics is not what I’d call just trace amounts…

jabl 3y ago
Interesting that the regulations are done that way in terms of both an average and a maximum. I wonder how the average is determined, how many samples, and what is the size of a batch etc.? > 18% of gasoline’s weight is the BTEX aromatics, benzene, toluene, ethylene-benzene, and xylene. https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-addit https://www.fuelfreedom.org/is-there-a-better-gasoline-addit.... > This may be done depending on the season to increase the octane of gasoline. > An average of 18% of these aromatics is not what I’d call just trace amounts… Yes, BTEX is added to improve octane. It's also possible to increase octane by alkylation and isomerization, which produce branched alkanes which tend to be less toxic and burn cleaner than aromatics, but reformation/dehydrogenation which produces aromatics is cheaper.. But yes, while the other aromatics aren't exactly healthy, they're nowhere as dangerous as benzene. So it makes sense to minimize the amount of benzene via regulation, but be a bit less strict about the other aromatics. As an aside, a quick glance on that "fuelfreedom.org" site suggests they really like ethanol as a fuel additive, which makes me suspect they might be a front group for the corn ethanol lobby. So I'd be wary of taking what they say at face value.