The long run of using conventional petroleum fuels has sparked an interest in switching to biofuels. Conventional petroleum fuels are not renewable and they pollute the environment by producing excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Excess greenhouse gases can deplete the ozone layer. As the ozone layer thins out, the Earth’s temperature rises. Due to the usage of fossil fuels, responsible parties and organizations are looking for alternative energy sources to reduce carbon emission. Bioethanol has attracted the attention of researchers and may be a potential alternative to conventional petroleum fuels.
Bioethanol is an alternative fuel which can be derived from different biomass feedstocks and conversion technologies. Bioethanol is a renewable bio-based resource that can be combined with other fossil fuels that helps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. This is because bioethanol is oxygenated which will reduce particulate emissions and hydrocarbons. Bioethanol burns cleaner and more completely than petroleum fuels thus, reducing soot produced from combustion. Bioethanol is carbon neutral which means the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants during photosynthesis is the same as the one released in the production of bioethanol. The carbon dioxide produced from the combustion will be absorbed by plants to carry out photosynthesis which produces oxygen gas into that atmosphere that can help to reduce air pollution:
C2H5OH(g) + O2(g) = CO2(g) + H2O(g)
A common blend of bioethanol and fossil fuel today is the E85 which consists of approximately 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The benefits of using E85 are that the oil remains clean for a long period of time and a reduction in overall carbon footprint for each consumer. This can also reduce the use of petroleum as fuels.
However, oxygenated fuels have a tendency to increase nitrogen oxide emission in the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxide is not harmful to humans at low concentration but when nitrogen oxide further reacts with oxygen in the air, nitrogen dioxide is produced and it can be hazardous. Nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxide sometimes can be referred as the oxides of nitrogen (NOx):
NO(g) + O2(g) = NOx(g)
Eventually, NOx gases may react to produce smog and acid rain. Acid rain harms aquatic living beings when it flows into the rivers and increase the soil acidity, making the soil infertile for plants to grow. Even though the product of combustion of bioethanol will harm the environment, conventional petroleum fuels contribute to the same matter as well on a larger scale. The toxicity of bioethanol emissions is much lesser compared to that of conventional petroleum fuels. The National Geographic (n.d) stated that to solve this issue, governments are encouraging alternative energy sources and cleaning of smokes from the chimneys of industries to curb the emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Petroleum fuels burn incompletely and produce more carbon monoxide which is poisonous. Carbon monoxide is a transparent and odorless gas that replaces oxygen in the red blood cells which may lead to tissue damage. Accumulation of carbon monoxide in the red blood cells may be fatal.
Bioethanol is produced when materials that contain sugar, starch or cellulose are fermented. Bioethanol feedstocks are classified into three categories, sucrose-containing-feedstocks, starchy materials and lignocellulosic biomass. (corn) Lignocellulosic biomass are agricultural wastes and they are in abundance. Through this method, agricultural wastes can be put into a good use for a better environment quality. Specifically, lignocellulosic perennial crops, they can be potential feedstocks because they are cheap, more environmental friendly, promising yields and suitable for poor quality lands. The production of bioethanol as fuel will grant job opportunities in rural areas as a huge amount of grown crops is needed. However, using these biomass feedstocks may be unreliable due to insufficient raw materials for the production of bioethanol. The availability of the feedstocks vary from season to season and are dependent on geographical areas.
Furthermore, bioethanol is made up of organic components. This composition allows bioethanol to biodegrade safely. When bioethanol is accidentally spilled, 74% of ethanol is broken down in within 5 days.
In conclusion, bioethanol brings about the same effects as conventional petroleum fuels but on a much smaller scale. Bioethanol can reduce the air pollution that is happening in every country by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. The production of bioethanol which requires many grown crops will provide job opportunities for people. Moreover, the organic components in the composition of bioethanol allows biodegradation to occur safely.