Environmental Agency

The byproducts and pollution from the use of ethanol can be dangerous to everyone breathing the air. Depending on the amount of ethanol added to the petroleum- based product is what determines the impact on the environment, E85 ethanol blend poses the most significant risk. Burning ethanol emits pollutants including carbon monoxide, benzene, 1, 3- butadiene, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, oxides of nitrogen, ethanol, volatile organic compounds, ozone, and particulate matter. According to the American Lung Association “Instead of providing better air quality, ethanol fuel could well result in no measurable improvement, substituting one set of air pollutants for another, and possibly worsening air pollution overall” (“Ethanol-gasoline fuel”, 2007). Exposure to these pollutants will have a long term effect on those exposed to them. The byproducts and waste material from ethanol production is also potentially harmful for those exposed. The people living near an ethanol production facility are at the highest risk because of the possibility of an accidental release of chemicals, and byproducts from ethanol production (“United States environmental protection agency”, 2008). The byproducts and pollution from the use of ethanol can be dangerous to everyone breathing the air. Depending on the amount of ethanol added to the petroleum- based product is what determines the impact on the environment, E85 ethanol blend poses the most significant risk. Burning ethanol emits pollutants including carbon monoxide, benzene, 1, 3- butadiene, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, oxides of nitrogen, ethanol, volatile organic compounds, ozone, and particulate matter. According to the American Lung Association “Instead of providing better air quality, ethanol fuel could well result in no measurable improvement, substituting one set of air pollutants for another, and possibly worsening air pollution overall” (“Ethanol-gasoline fuel”, 2007). Exposure to these pollutants will have a long term effect...