environmental effects of using biodiesel

Biodiesels can play a significant role in changing the world for the better in terms of human health and environment. The usage of conventional petroleum based products creates smog. Smog is basically a dense mixture of smoke and fog. Using biodiesels, one can considerably reduce the smog formation and hence can make their small contribution towards a cleaner environment.

Diesel fuel emissions consist of unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen derivatives which are the main culprits for causing air pollution. On the other hand, biodiesel emissions consist of almost negligible unburnt hydrocarbons and these can be further eliminated when you use a right blend of biodiesel and diesel. Emission Tests conducted under EPA regulations have clearly shown that unburnt hydrocarbon exhaust emissions are almost half as compared to those released by petroleum based fuels.

Further, biodiesel is known to make more energy. It has been proved time and again, through various tests, that biodiesel fuels actually give back more energy to the environment than it takes. This is completely in contrast to fossil fuels. Various lifecycle studies related to biodiesels have shown that for every unit of fossil energy it takes to manufacture fossil fuel, 3.2 units of energy are gained. This kind of study included the transportation, production and the final distribution of the biodiesel to the end customer.

Many studies have also confirmed that biodiesel emissions are less harmful to human health as compared to diesel emissions. This is due to the reason that biodiesel fuel lacks an aromatic structure which is mainly responsible for producing harmful emissions. The particles which cause asthma and lung disorders are 47 percent less in biodiesel emissions as compared to diesel emissions. In addition, most of the diesels exhaust waste compounds are reduced by 70 to 80 percent by using biodiesel fuels. Biodiesel is also less likely to produce the cancer causing compound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Biodiesel is also known to have the potential to reduce acid rains. Sulfur oxides are the major compounds in acid rains. The emission of sulfur oxides from biodiesels is about 8 percent less than the corresponding usage from diesels. Biodiesel is also known to produce less soot. Soot is the solid particle left after the mixing of black smoke portion of petroleum based products and smog. Soot consists of 100 percent carbon and diesel soot is known to produce cancer. Once again, biodiesel comes to our rescue as its use reduces the total amount of particulate matter soot exhaust by about 83.6 percent.

Another environmental advantage of using biodiesels is in the reduction of waste water. The overall lifecycle production of waste water from biodiesel fuel is 75 percent lower than overall production of waste water from diesel fuel. Hence, waste water flow from biodiesel is roughly one fifth than that from petroleum fuels. Additionally, usage of biodiesel fuels contributes less to the production of green house gases. This is due to the fact that the main green house gas, carbon dioxide, is released sparingly when biodiesels are burnt. Where as, in case of diesel fuels, carbon dioxide is released in the form of unburnt hydrocarbons which account for nearly 85 percent of all emissions.

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