Fingerprinting diesel and petrol fuels for adulteration in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Adulteration of petrol (gasoline) and diesel using petrochemical based products has often been reported in developing countries. This leads to the degradation of engine performances and fugitive emissions. Having similar chemical properties, the fuel and the adulterant cannot be distinguished easily leading to complications in identification and quantification of the adulterants. In this investigation, a synchronous fluorimetric analysis method was modified targeting to obtain the fingerprints for these fuels based on their polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content. In a synchronous fluorescence scan, both the excitation and emission wavelengths are scanned keeping the wavelength difference at a fixed value. PAHs are a group of compounds with fused benzene ring systems, which are naturally present and/or formed during fuel processing that exhibit significant differences in their synchronous fluorescence scans. Simulated adulterated samples of petrol or diesel with kerosene, diluted in hexane, were prepared from the fuels collected from the petroleum refinery. These simulated fuel samples showed linear variations of the synchronous emission intensity with the level of kerosene in the fuel at specific wavelengths. This relation was utilized to investigate the level of adulteration for petrol and diesel available at different petrol stations. Diesel adulteration was found to be in the range of 0 to 35 % while petrol adulteration was found to be in the range of 0 to 48 % in Colombo and its suburbs.

Gaseous Vapor Emission (GVE) Technique for Detection of Petrol Adulteration at Point of Sale (POS) Terminals

“…Codes, Standards, and specifications exist in different countries to ensure that supplied PMS meets a minimum standard or quality to ensure vehicles run satisfactorily [2]. However, the adulteration of petrol (gasoline) has become a flourishing business in many developing countries [3]. Adulteration is defined as the illegal or unauthorized introduction of foreign substances into gasoline or similar substance, with the result that the product does not conform to the requirements and specifications of the product [4,5].…”

Determination of kerosene as an adulterant in diesel through chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry

“…The selection criteria for adulterant are based on its ready miscibility with the fuel, availability at cheaper rates and similarity in the physicochemical properties as compared to the unadulterated fuel. Largely, various petroleum-based products easily fulfil these requirements and hence preferred as adulterants to the automotive fuels [2,10]. In India, there has been an increased concern on this issue partially due to the lack of organized research in this area and dangerously rising air pollution levels [11][12][13].…”

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Coupled with Multivariate Methods for the Characterization of Ethanol Adulteration in Premium 91 Gasoline

“…As a consequence of this situation, blending of gasoline and other fuels has become a common practice in many places where the prices of adulterants is much lower compared to those of pure fuels. , However, excessive adulteration of gasoline and diesel fuels for financial gains has led to serious environmental and health problems . Adulterants are selected on the basis of economic benefits, ease of blending, availability, and physicochemical similarities to the fuel . Kerosene, industrial solvents, such as paint thinner, and recycled lubricants are common adulterants in fuels as a result of the lower taxes imposed on these adulterants compared to the taxation on gasoline. − …”

“…3 Adulterants are selected on the basis of economic benefits, ease of blending, availability, and physicochemical similarities to the fuel. 4 Kerosene, industrial solvents, such as paint thinner, and recycled lubricants are common adulterants in fuels as a result of the lower taxes imposed on these adulterants compared to the taxation on gasoline. 5−8 Ethanol has also been added to the list of adulterants found in fuels because of its physicochemical properties.…”