MOTOR FUELS: UNLEADED FUEL SHOULD NOT BE TARGET OF POLLUTION REDUCTION STRATEGY

Europe Environment, November, 1994

Summary: The European Commission is drafting a European definition of motor fuels, as a way of preventing the sale of petrol containing harmful benzene and aromatics. The move was announced on October 27, following a series of reports in the British press warning of the health hazards of lead-free petrol containing high levels of carcinogenic benzene and aromatics. The Commission insisted however that it had no intention of acting to put a break on booming sales of unleaded petrol.

A Commission statement argued there was no proof the level of benzene and aromatics was higher in lead-free petrol than in leaded fuel. In any case, fitting catalytic converters to cars running on unleaded petrol significantly reduced any pollutant emissions. And, as the UK House of...

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