The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination
The Clean Air Act (42 U.S. Code § 7401) is one of the United States of America’s most influential environmental laws. Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, oxygen-containing organic compounds must be added to some fossil fuels with the goal of combating CO<sub>2</sub> and particula...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-02-01
|
| Series: | Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/5/739 |
| _version_ | 1797473447242104832 |
|---|---|
| author | Michael O. Eze Simon C. George |
| author_facet | Michael O. Eze Simon C. George |
| author_sort | Michael O. Eze |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Clean Air Act (42 U.S. Code § 7401) is one of the United States of America’s most influential environmental laws. Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, oxygen-containing organic compounds must be added to some fossil fuels with the goal of combating CO<sub>2</sub> and particulate emissions. However, one major implication is the effect of co-solvency on the leaching potentials of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into groundwater. Our research investigated this effect on three groups of recalcitrant PAHs that are present in diesel fuel. Our results reveal that ethanol addition enhances the leaching potentials of these otherwise hydrophobic contaminants, with 10% ethanol (E10) resulting in elution of all the PAHs studied. While 5% ethanol addition to diesel fuel resulted in the elution of an average of 2.5% of all the trimethylnaphthalenes and 6.0% of the C<sub>2</sub> alkylphenanthrenes present in diesel fuel, 10% ethanol addition led to the elution of more than 80% of each of the studied trimethylnaphthalene peaks and more than 70% of each of the studied C<sub>2</sub> alkylphenanthrene peaks present in diesel fuel. In view of the known mutagenic and carcinogenic risks associated with exposure to PAHs through groundwater contamination, our study highlights the need for energy scientists to carefully consider the environmental and health implications of ethanol-blended innovations holistically. It is not enough to save the atmosphere but ruin the hydrosphere and most importantly, human health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:15:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-73a355013f724c48b0e3d4b536f164a4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:15:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-73a355013f724c48b0e3d4b536f164a42023-11-24T00:02:25ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-02-0114573910.3390/w14050739The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater ContaminationMichael O. Eze0Simon C. George1Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Georg-August University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, GermanySchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, AustraliaThe Clean Air Act (42 U.S. Code § 7401) is one of the United States of America’s most influential environmental laws. Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, oxygen-containing organic compounds must be added to some fossil fuels with the goal of combating CO<sub>2</sub> and particulate emissions. However, one major implication is the effect of co-solvency on the leaching potentials of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into groundwater. Our research investigated this effect on three groups of recalcitrant PAHs that are present in diesel fuel. Our results reveal that ethanol addition enhances the leaching potentials of these otherwise hydrophobic contaminants, with 10% ethanol (E10) resulting in elution of all the PAHs studied. While 5% ethanol addition to diesel fuel resulted in the elution of an average of 2.5% of all the trimethylnaphthalenes and 6.0% of the C<sub>2</sub> alkylphenanthrenes present in diesel fuel, 10% ethanol addition led to the elution of more than 80% of each of the studied trimethylnaphthalene peaks and more than 70% of each of the studied C<sub>2</sub> alkylphenanthrene peaks present in diesel fuel. In view of the known mutagenic and carcinogenic risks associated with exposure to PAHs through groundwater contamination, our study highlights the need for energy scientists to carefully consider the environmental and health implications of ethanol-blended innovations holistically. It is not enough to save the atmosphere but ruin the hydrosphere and most importantly, human health.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/5/739ethanol-blended fuelsleachingpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsgroundwater contaminationtoxicity |
| spellingShingle | Michael O. Eze Simon C. George The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination Water ethanol-blended fuels leaching polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons groundwater contamination toxicity |
| title | The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination |
| title_full | The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination |
| title_fullStr | The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination |
| title_short | The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination |
| title_sort | potential of oxygenates to increase the risk of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through groundwater contamination |
| topic | ethanol-blended fuels leaching polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons groundwater contamination toxicity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/5/739 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaeloeze thepotentialofoxygenatestoincreasetheriskofexposuretopolycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsthroughgroundwatercontamination AT simoncgeorge thepotentialofoxygenatestoincreasetheriskofexposuretopolycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsthroughgroundwatercontamination AT michaeloeze potentialofoxygenatestoincreasetheriskofexposuretopolycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsthroughgroundwatercontamination AT simoncgeorge potentialofoxygenatestoincreasetheriskofexposuretopolycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsthroughgroundwatercontamination |