Green Innovations
A Downside To Going Green With E85
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One of the most important reasons for the “green movement” in the automotive industry is the environment. Sure, one of the major advantages to “going green” by driving hybrids and electric based autos is the money that we save, but for the most part, the green movement was spurred on out of concern for the environment. The release of carbon dioxide and other toxic chemicals from standard combustion engines are not only damaging to our health, but to the environment in terms of global warming and damaging ecosystems worldwide. You would think then that all green technology is good for the environment, but a recent study shows that one of the more popular green fuels, E85, may be adding to the toxic mix of chemicals, namely through ozone.
So What Is Ozone?
Before getting into the specifics of how and why E85 releases more ozone (otherwise known as O3- a “cousin” of oxygen, otherwise known as O2) into the atmosphere than a standard combustion engine, let’s see exactly what ozone is and why it is dangerous. Most of us have heard of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere that protects us from the sun’s harmful radiation. Ozone is a good thing as long as it stays in the upper atmosphere, but in the lower atmosphere where we live, ozone can be dangerous to our health.
In terms of automotive exhaust, ozone forms when sunlight hits the nitrogen oxide (NOx) particles that are produced during the combustion of gasoline. Ozone can also form from gasoline vapours and other chemical vapours. The trouble with ozone is that when it is produced in high enough quantities in a given area, it assists in the formation of smog. For people living in areas where ozone/smog levels are high, it can reduce lung function by creating inflammation, even in healthy people who do not suffer from any respiratory problems. Furthermore, it has the potential to permanently damage our lungs, amongst many other issues that can arise.
The Different Byproducts Of Gasoline And E85
As we know, standard blend gasoline when combusted releases some rather nasty toxins into the atmosphere. Even though E85 does indeed cut down on a lot of those toxins and is much more environmentally friendly to produce, it has a tendency to produce more ozone than standard gasoline. Standard gasoline is usually blended with 5 to 10 per cent ethanol, but E85 is 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent gasoline. With all of that alcohol involved in the combustion process of E85, a byproduct known as aldehyde is produced in more significant quantities than that of standard gasoline. Aldehydes are precursors to ozone formation. That is, with more aldehydes being produced, the chances of ozone forming increase almost seven fold. It should also be mentioned that aldehydes are carcinogens.
Temperature Is Key
As mentioned above, one of the key ingredients for producing aldehydes and eventually ozone is the sun striking nitrogen oxide (NOx) particles from automotive exhaust. The scientists who studied the problem ran test after test and simulation after simulation using different temperature conditions to determine if E85 was really producing more ozone than standard gasoline. It should be noted that ozone formation is most prevalent during the summer months when more of the sun’s rays are making it to the Earth’s surface. They found that on warm sunny days both standard gasoline and E85 produced roughly the same amount of ozone (E85 produced roughly seven parts per billion more in the air than standard gasoline).
But the key indicator of E85’s ozone producing propensity occurred when tests and simulations were conducted in cold weather between zero and -37 degrees Celsius. The averaged results showed that in cold weather E85 raised the concentration of ozone in the air by over 39 parts per billion in comparison to standard gasoline.
The End Of E85?
The authors of the study did not claim that this was the end of E85. Actually they projected that by 2020 when more autos are on the road that have the ability to run on E85, automotive pollution in general will be down by 60 per cent in comparison to today due to the ever evolving nature of automotive technology. With that said though, the authors still believe that caution should be applied for the time being in regard to ozone production and E85 until more studies are conducted on the matter, especially in varying urban centres.
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