[Dr.Sumit Bhatti]

Originally Posted by mithun

I've heard that Naphtha is mainly used in adulteration. Is that true ?

Please spare some time to read this 48 page CSE (Centre for Science and Environment) Report on the independent inspection of fuel quality at fuel dispensing stations, oil depots and tank lorries. It is an eye-opener.
The samples were collected from December 20, 2001 to January 18, 2002 in the National Capital Territory (NCT) and National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi.
This report was submitted to the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority on 5th February 2002.
The link is http://www.cseindia.org/campaign/apc/pdf/Fnladul.pdf

An excellent synopsis of this report appeared in the Daily Excelsior, Business Section and is reproduced below:

Petrol, diesel at petrol pumps, oil depots adulterated: CSE

NEW DELHI, Mar 14: Motorists Beware ! The petrol or diesel available at your nearby petrol pump or oil depot could be adulterated.

Almost 26 per cent of the petrol or diesel sold at the various retail outlets in Delhi could be adulterated with elements like pentane, benzene, toluene or heptane, a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on the level of fuel adulteration in the national capital shows.

What is worse, current detection methods and prescribed standards for fuel quality are far too weak to detect the prevailing level of adulteration, the CSE said in a report.

"If adulteration is not caught, it is not because it is not happening. It goes undetected because detection methods and standards are too weak to catch it," Ms Anumita Roy Choudhry of the CSE said.

By the time the petrol or diesel makes its way from the refinery to the retail outlet, there is a considerable reduction in its sulphur level.

According to the CSE report, the fuels in oil terminals and retail outlets in the capital like petrol pumps is mysteriously lower compared to what mathura refinery produces.

In fact, comparison of fuel specifications different batches of fuels as recorded at the Mathura refinery, and Bijwasan depot, by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) over a period of more than a month, showed that while the sulphur level in diesel at the refinery varies from 400-480 ppm, it reduces to a uniform consistent level of 200 PPM at the depot.

In case of petrol, the sulphur level reduces to a ridiculous level of 110 PPM, as against a range of 350 ppm to 450 ppm tested at the Mathura refinery. Even at the retail outlet the levels are far below what the refineries are producing.

"In the absence of a plausible explanation for the difference in the fuel sulphur levels at the refinery and the depots, these low sulphur diesel and petrol samples could be adulterated ones," the CSE report says. CSE’s independent assessment of the fuel adulteration problem in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) and the National Capital Region (NCR) follows a direction from the Environment Pollution (prevention and control) Authority (EPCA) under the Supreme Court order dated November 22, 2001.

The EPCA was directed by the apex court to constitute an agency, which would independently carry out random inspection at petrol pumps, oil depots and tank lorries in Delhi and give report with regard to the quality of petrol and diesel available there.

Accordingly, the Society For Petroleum Laboratory (SFPL), Noida, was set up for the purpose.

Out of the 72 samples tested, 8.3 per cent were found to be adulterated, a sharp increase from the adulteration rate of one to two per cent reported earlier.

However, the failure rate of 8.3 per cent reported by the SFPL was an underestimate considering the fact that while interpreting the benzene data in petrol samples, it did not take into account the supreme court order that petrol must not have more than one per cent benzene.

Instead, while checking petrol for adulteration, SFPL is still using the older specification of three per cent maximum limit for benzene. After correction the total number of failed petrol samples increased to 15 (out of 72), that is 30 per cent of the petrol samples. The total sample failure rate, thus, increased to 26 per cent.

The inadequacy of current testing methods was proved by the fact that SFPL failed to detect adulterated samples that were deliberately sent to it by the CSE in the list of the 72 samples tested.

What weakens the testing system even further is the fact not only are the range of the parameters too broad, some of the key parameters of fuels like aromatics and olefins in petrol and polyaromic hydrocarbons in diesel are not even regulated and, hence, cannot be tested to check adulteration. Worse, even among the parameters that are currently tested, important tests like sulphur, benzene and cetane rating of diesel are not done on a routine basis.

The lax testing standards mean that an intelligent mix of common adulterants like kerosene and light diesel oil with diesel or naptha and other solvents with petrol may not show up in routine bis tests. Yet, a small mix of 10-15 per cent without violating the standards can help to reap lucrative profits - as much as Rs 25000 profit a day just by mixing 15 per cent naptha with petrol.

Experts point out that mixing kerosene and diesel oil in diesel over a prolonged period may impair engine performance and raise emissions.

Detecting adulterants in petrol is as difficult under the current bis specifications. For example, intelligent calculations are possible to work out the right proportion of adulteration - a mix of 20 per cent naptha in petrol with 92 octane can still meet the minimum requirement of 88 octane.

In view of the padding of some amount of adulteration within the permissible range of bis standards, it is important to be cautious about the samples that are at the margin, the CSE says. These samples would need confirmatory and precise tests for more accurate detection that are not done currently, it says.

To confirm this, the CSE conducted a limited set of tests on the samples, in its pollution control laboratory, that help to analyse individual hydrocarbon structure of the samples for more accurate fingerprinting. This enables comparison between fuel samples from retail outlets, depots and refineries and reveals any abberation that may occure due to adulteration.

The tests conducted by CSE showed an astonishingly high variation, in some aromatic compounds like hexane, pentene, xylene, between petrol and diesel samples from depots and refineries, which would have gone undetected under bis test methods employed in India.

According to the CSE, alternative fuel testing methods are available and applied in other countries for more accurate results, to deal with the problem of smuggling and mixing of cheaper and untaxed fuels. (UNI)

[dushmish]

During my drive to Malshej Ghat near Mumbai, I read on a petrol pump - Bio Diesel (Cheap Diesel). I guess this is diesel obtained from Jatropha. How is this different in terms of its properties from regular diesel? Does it have any impact on the diesel engines? Specially the new gen CDRI/DDIS engines?

Dr Bhatti has been silent for a very long time. Where have you disappeared sir?

[dushmish]

What is the impact of fuel prices going up on the adultration of fuel? The per litre increase in kerosene price is more than per litre increase in diesel price. Does it mean it is less lucrative to adultrate diesel with kerosene (though the absolute price of kerosene remains less than that of diesel). I am sure there is a cost benefit (risk to returns) matrix that works in this industry. And with the price differential reducing the matrix must be turning adverse results (for the adultrators).

Any thoughts?

[dushmish]

I have observed that some petrol pumps dispense Diesel that is light blue in colour. Is it due to kerosene adultration? Normally highway pumps have blue diesel. I have contested the purity many times but there is no way I could establish it. Has anyone else observed this?

[mithun]

Originally Posted by dushmish

I have observed that some petrol pumps dispense Diesel that is light blue in colour. Is it due to kerosene adultration? Normally highway pumps have blue diesel. I have contested the purity many times but there is no way I could establish it. Has anyone else observed this?

They are mixing it with the kerosene bought from Ration shops.

[blackfire_9]

Originally Posted by dushmish

I have observed that some petrol pumps dispense Diesel that is light blue in colour. Is it due to kerosene adultration? Normally highway pumps have blue diesel. I have contested the purity many times but there is no way I could establish it. Has anyone else observed this?

Strange!

Whenever I get diesel for my car or bike (during washing), it's greenish in colour. I don't know what's the standard colour of diesel, but if it's greenish then I suppose the blue coloured variety has some added "flavours" in it.

Drive safe.

[CRDIsamir]

Originally Posted by blackfire_9

Strange!

Whenever I get diesel for my car or bike (during washing), it's greenish in colour. I don't know what's the standard colour of diesel, but if it's greenish then I suppose the blue coloured variety has some added "flavours" in it.

Drive safe.

The safest way to fill up your tank in your city is to locate a pump where you can find maximum number of people filling up. Make it a habit to fill up at that particular pump once you are convinced about the quality & quantity of the fuel you have had previous time you filled.

Whenever you are travelling AVOID filling up on highways or pumps outside the city limits. Always fill up in a city and at a crowded place. The simple reason is that the petrol bunks outside city limits can easily pass on adulterated fuel to you as you would have easily traveled several hundred kms unless you actually start feeling the effect.

[dushmish]

Got this test "Mix Acitic acid 5ml & aniline 2ml, dissolve this solution in 15ml of Diesel, shake well, after 3 minutes 2 to 3 drops of Golden yellow colour will formed at bottom of test tube ...if it so means the Diesel is pure" on the following link - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you..._diesel_purity

Has anyone tried this or anything similar?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by dushmish

Got this test "Mix Acitic acid 5ml & aniline 2ml, dissolve this solution in 15ml of Diesel, shake well, after 3 minutes 2 to 3 drops of Golden yellow colour will formed at bottom of test tube ...if it so means the Diesel is pure" on the following link - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you..._diesel_purity

Has anyone tried this or anything similar?

Good one Dushmish!

As we are on this topic, I see the hoarding on petrol pumps saying Filter paper test, Quantity test and Quality test. My question is has anyone tried getting them do it in front of us?

Anurag.

[bdman]

I found this article interesting and would like to share it:

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/dirty-fuel-13661

Any tips/tricks/advice from members here on how to avoid filling your vehicle with contaminated fuel will be appreciated.

I was shocked to find out that 2 of my injectors may need to be replaced due to contaminated fuel. I have been filling only at Reliance and COCO bunks, and once at Essar.

TIA

[GTO]

Don't know how true this claim is. Video doing the rounds on WhatsApp (I got it from BHPian ACM):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1Md...ature=youtu.be

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by GTO

Don't know how true this claim is. Video doing the rounds on WhatsApp (I got it from BHPian ACM):

I try and always fill at trusted bunks and make sure my highway drives are always planned. I recently drove 10 KM in Hyderabad city traffic from the place I was staying to just fill fuel in my trusted bunk there.

[dushmish]

The video shows 4 cars stalled due to poor quality of fuel. All of them right at the petrol pump. I am not sure how is it possible. There is enough fuel in the fuel line to take the car a couple of km before impure fuel enters the engine.

This is a company owned pump. With an officer responsible for it. Fuel can't be so bad that the cars stall there itself.

Is it due to some electromagnetic interference that the cars stalled? No, I am not kite flying. Just thinking aloud. What could be a reason for 4 cars to stalls within moments of refueling.

@Arjun Reddy, "trusted" petrol pump is what we are trying to establish. Most of us who drive on regular routes, have our favorites. The idea of this thread is to find the good ones on not familiar routes.

[hondatoyotafan]

I havent tested any diesels but my big bear(skoda kodiaq) likes reliance or shell diesel the best followed by HP diesel. Recently had to tank up at a BP coco due to low fuel and could feel the difference. Coming to petrol i have a Vento TSI which is happy with either RIL or any HP or BP COCO.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by dushmish

Is it due to some electromagnetic interference that the cars stalled? No, I am not kite flying. Just thinking aloud. What could be a reason for 4 cars to stalls within moments of refueling.

What kind of electromagnetic interference would a particular location provide? That too a petrol pump where HT electrical mains are deliberately kept away?

If any information / experience made you think of this reason, please share with us.

My guess: it might be due to dirt or excess water present in the fuel.