New marker to check fuel purity

NEW DELHI: In a significant move to curb adulteration of petrol and diesel, a new marker system is set to be introduced. Developed by a firm based in the United Kingdom, the marker is a unique combination of chemicals that covertly marks prime fuels to detect adulteration.
"The basic principle is simple. The marker is mixed with the fuel in the proportion of 2.5 parts per million (PPM) — a measure of the ratio of the chemical to the fuel under test and it is read through a portable digital analyser to detect the level of adulteration," said A K Bhatnagar, head of Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) research and development wing.
The analyser will display the level of adulteration on a panel.The marked fuel can later be tested to determine the extent of adulteration.
The marker system of checking adulteration emerged out of a study group constituted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) at the behest of the ministry of consumer affairs, to review the issue of adulteration and suggest remedial measures. Trials began in September 2001 in three public sector undertakings — IOC, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
"The new marker has been shown to be far more efficient in detecting adulteration than the previous bio-marker, particularly for on-the-spot checks," said Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman Dilip Biswas, also a member of the study group.
The marking system is extremely economical. "The approximate cost, worked out by the study group, is one paise per litre — including cost of the marker, service charges for testing besides hiring charges of the detection device," Bhatnagar said. Each analyser costs about Rs 2.5 lakh.
Apart from the cost factor, the new system is extremely user-friendly. It does away with the laboratory requirements of re-agents and the marker does not alter the properties of the fuel under test.
"The ultimate goal is to equip every retail outlet with at least one analyser so that customer can themselves ascertain the fuel’s purity," he added.
The addition of adulterants in fuel have been responsible for increase in air pollution in the city. The most common adulterants are kerosene and nap as they mix easily with petrol and diesel. They are also available at cheaper price. They not only produce more emissions, but also unburnt soot which has known carcinogens.
A report prepared by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had questioned the efficacy of testing labs in the city and raised the need for a chemical or bio-marker, of the kind currently under trial, which could be readily used to conduct on-the-spot quality checks on fossil fuels like petrol and diesel.