Editing Gasoline (section)

== Environmental effect ==
The [[air pollution]] in many large cities has changed from coal-burning pollution to "motor vehicle pollution". In the U.S., transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions, accounting for 30 percent of the total carbon footprint of the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facts About Gasoline |url=https://www.coltura.org/gasfacts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209181408/https://www.coltura.org/gasfacts |archive-date=9 December 2021 |access-date=2021-12-12 |website=Coltura - moving beyond gasoline |language=en-US}}</ref> Combustion of gasoline produces {{convert|2.35|kg/L|lb/U.S.gal|sp=us}} of carbon dioxide, a [[greenhouse gas]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=1 November 2006 |title=How Gasoline Becomes CO2 |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2152685/ |url-status=live |magazine=Slate Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820030124/http://www.slate.com/id/2152685/ |archive-date=20 August 2011 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="US Energy Information Administration2">{{citation-attribution|1={{cite web |title=How much carbon dioxide is produced by burning gasoline and diesel fuel? |url=http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=307&t=11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027195801/http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=307&t=11 |archive-date=27 October 2013 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) |df=dmy-all}} }}</ref>

Unburnt gasoline and [[Automobile emissions control#Evaporative emissions control|evaporation from the tank]], when in the [[atmosphere]], react in [[sunlight]] to produce [[photochemical smog]]. Vapor pressure initially rises with some addition of ethanol to gasoline, but the increase is greatest at 10 percent by volume.<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=V. F. Andersen |author2=J. E. Anderson |author3=T. J. Wallington |author4=S. A. Mueller |author5=O. J. Nielsen |date=May 21, 2010 |title=Vapor Pressures of Alcohol−Gasoline Blends |journal=Energy Fuels |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=3647–3654 |doi=10.1021/ef100254w}}</ref> At higher concentrations of ethanol above 10 percent, the vapor pressure of the blend starts to decrease. At a 10 percent ethanol by volume, the rise in vapor pressure may potentially increase the problem of photochemical smog. This rise in vapor pressure could be mitigated by increasing or decreasing the percentage of ethanol in the gasoline mixture. The chief risks of such leaks come not from vehicles, but gasoline delivery truck accidents and leaks from storage tanks. Because of this risk, most (underground) storage tanks now have extensive measures in place to detect and prevent any such leaks, such as monitoring systems (Veeder-Root, Franklin Fueling).

Production of gasoline consumes {{convert|0.63|U.S.gal/mi|L/km|sp=us|order=flip}} of [[water]] by driven distance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Water Intensity of Transportation |url=http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Webber-water-in-transportation.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915174902/http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Webber-water-in-transportation.pdf |archive-date=15 September 2013 |access-date=6 October 2016 }}</ref>

Gasoline use causes a variety of deleterious effects to the human population and to the climate generally. The harms imposed include a higher rate of premature death and ailments, such as [[asthma]], caused by [[air pollution]], higher healthcare costs for the public generally, decreased [[crop yields]], missed work and school days due to illness, increased [[flood]]ing and other [[extreme weather]] events linked to [[global climate change]], and other social costs. The costs imposed on society and the planet are estimated to be $3.80 per gallon of gasoline, in addition to the price paid at the pump by the user. The damage to the health and climate caused by a gasoline-powered vehicle greatly exceeds that caused by electric vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=University |first=Duke |title=New models yield clearer picture of emissions' true costs |url=https://phys.org/news/2015-03-yield-clearer-picture-emissions-true.html |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=phys.org |language=en |archive-date=25 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125024316/https://phys.org/news/2015-03-yield-clearer-picture-emissions-true.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shindell |first1=Drew T. |year=2015 |title=The social cost of atmospheric release |journal=Climatic Change |volume=130 |issue=2 |pages=313–326 |bibcode=2015ClCh..130..313S |doi=10.1007/s10584-015-1343-0 |doi-access=free |s2cid=41970160|hdl=10419/85245 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Gasoline can be released into the environment as an uncombusted liquid fuel, as a flammable liquid, or as a vapor by way of leakages occurring during its production, handling, transport and delivery.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2014 |title=Preventing and Detecting Underground Storage Tank (UST) Releases |url=https://www.epa.gov/ust/preventing-and-detecting-underground-storage-tank-ust-releases |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210005946/https://www.epa.gov/ust/preventing-and-detecting-underground-storage-tank-ust-releases |archive-date=10 December 2020 |access-date=14 November 2018 |publisher=United States Environmental Protection Agency |language=en}}</ref> Gasoline contains known [[carcinogen]]s,<ref>{{cite web |title=Evaluation of the Carcinogenicity of Unleaded Gasoline |url=http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=36176#Download |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627032708/http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=36176#Download |archive-date=27 June 2010 |work=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mehlman |first1=MA |date=1990 |title=Dangerous properties of petroleum-refining products: carcinogenicity of motor fuels (gasoline). |journal=Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis, and Mutagenesis |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=399–408 |doi=10.1002/tcm.1770100505 |pmid=1981951 | issn = 2472-1727 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baumbach |first1=JI |last2=Sielemann |first2=S |last3=Xie |first3=Z |last4=Schmidt |first4=H |date=15 March 2003 |title=Detection of the gasoline components methyl tert-butyl ether, benzene, toluene, and m-xylene using ion mobility spectrometers with a radioactive and UV ionization source. |journal=Analytical Chemistry |volume=75 |issue=6 |pages=1483–90 |doi=10.1021/ac020342i |pmid=12659213}}</ref> and gasoline [[Exhaust gas|exhaust]] is a health risk.<ref name="canada-2015" /> Gasoline is often used as a recreational [[inhalant]] and can be harmful or fatal when used in such a manner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gasoline Sniffing |url=https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/substance-abuse/Pages/Gasoline-Sniffing.aspx |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=HealthyChildren.org |date=28 December 2012 |language=en |archive-date=11 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311180622/https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/substance-abuse/Pages/Gasoline-Sniffing.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> When burned, {{Convert|1|l|U.S.gal|sp=us|spell=in}} of gasoline emits about {{Convert|2.3|kg|lb}} of {{CO2|link=yes}}, a [[greenhouse gas]], contributing to [[human-caused climate change]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2008 |title=Releases or emission of CO2 per Liter of fuel (Gasoline, Diesel, LPG) |url=https://www.econology.info/Emissions-co2-liter-fuel-gasoline-or-diesel-gpl/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801054030/https://www.econology.info/Emissions-co2-liter-fuel-gasoline-or-diesel-gpl/ |archive-date=1 August 2021 |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet |url=https://climate.nasa.gov/ |url-status=live |publisher=NASA |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024024 |bibcode=2013ERL.....8b4024C |s2cid=250675802 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411121502/https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024024 |archive-date=11 April 2019 |access-date=16 September 2021|last1=Cook |first1=John |last2=Nuccitelli |first2=Dana |last3=Green |first3=Sarah A. |last4=Richardson |first4=Mark |last5=Winkler |first5=Bärbel |last6=Painting |first6=Rob |last7=Way |first7=Robert |last8=Jacobs |first8=Peter |last9=Skuce |first9=Andrew |journal=Environmental Research Letters |year=2013 |volume=8 |issue=2 |page=024024 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Oil products, including gasoline, were responsible for about 32% of {{CO2}} emissions worldwide in 2021.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ritchie |first1=Hannah |author1-link=Hannah Ritchie |last2=Roser |first2=Max |author2-link=Max Roser |last3=Rosado |first3=Pablo |title=CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions |url=https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions |journal=Our World in Data |date=11 May 2020 |publisher=Global Change Data Lab |access-date=19 April 2023 |archive-date=19 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419090919/https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Carbon dioxide===
About {{convert|19.64|lb/U.S.gal|kg/L|sp=us|order=flip}} of [[carbon dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) are produced from burning gasoline that does not contain ethanol.<ref name="US Energy Information Administration2" /> Most of the retail gasoline now sold in the U.S. contains about 10 percent fuel ethanol (or E10) by volume.<ref name="US Energy Information Administration2" /> Burning E10 produces about {{convert|17.68|lb/U.S.gal|kg/L|sp=us|order=flip}} of CO<sub>2</sub> that is emitted from the fossil fuel content. If the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from ethanol combustion are considered, then about {{convert|18.95|lb/U.S.gal|kg/L|sp=us|order=flip}} of CO<sub>2</sub> are produced when E10 is combusted.<ref name="US Energy Information Administration2" />

Worldwide 7 liters of gasoline are burnt for every 100&nbsp;km driven by [[cars]] and vans.<ref name="IEA 2021">{{Cite web |date=November 2021 |title=Fuel Consumption of Cars and Vans – Analysis |url=https://www.iea.org/reports/global-fuel-economy-initiative-2021/executive-summary |website=IEA |language=en-GB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503043712/https://www.iea.org/reports/fuel-consumption-of-cars-and-vans |archive-date=3 May 2022}}</ref>

In 2021, the [[International Energy Agency]] stated, "To ensure fuel economy and CO2 emissions standards are effective, governments must continue regulatory efforts to monitor and reduce the gap between real-world fuel economy and rated performance."<ref name="IEA 2021" />

===Contamination of soil and water===
Gasoline enters the environment through the soil, groundwater, surface water, and air. Therefore, humans may be exposed to gasoline through methods such as breathing, eating, and skin contact. For example, using gasoline-filled equipment, such as lawnmowers, drinking gasoline-contaminated water close to gasoline spills or leaks to the soil, working at a gasoline station, inhaling gasoline volatile gas when refueling at a gasoline station is the easiest way to be exposed to gasoline.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gasoline, Automotive {{!}} ToxFAQs™ {{!}} ATSDR |url=https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=467&toxid=83 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212225136/https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=467&toxid=83 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |access-date=2021-12-12 |website=wwwn.cdc.gov}}</ref>