Issue 11, 2020

Ethanol-blended petroleum fuels: implications of co-solvency for phytotechnologies

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in the use of ethanol-blended fuels as alternatives to unblended fossil fuels. These initiatives are targeted at combating CO2 and particulate matter emissions, as these oxygenates leave behind a lesser carbon footprint. Noble as it may appear, this innovation is not without attendant ugly consequences. One major implication is the effect of co-solvency on the applicability of various forms of phytotechnologies for contaminant removal. By means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, this research investigated the effect of diesel fuel ethanol addition on the leaching potentials of petroleum hydrocarbons. Since phytoremediation of hydrocarbons depends largely on rhizodegradation of contaminants by the root-associated microbiome, the leaching of petroleum hydrocarbons beyond the rooting zones of plants may limit the effectiveness of this process as a reclamation strategy for ethanol-blended fuel spills. The analyses presented in this paper highlight the need for energy scientists to carefully consider the environmental impacts of ethanol-blended innovations holistically.

Graphical abstract: Ethanol-blended petroleum fuels: implications of co-solvency for phytotechnologies

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Dec. 2019
Accepted
03 Febr. 2020
First published
11 Febr. 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2020,10, 6473-6481

Ethanol-blended petroleum fuels: implications of co-solvency for phytotechnologies

M. O. Eze and S. C. George, RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 6473 DOI: 10.1039/C9RA10919F

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