B 4.2. Is the emission of aldehydes by ethanol a problem?
In fact, the incomplete burning of ethanol in the engine emits aldehydes, mainly acetaldehyde. However, it is not well known that the use of any other fuels that have automotive applications gasoline, diesel, natural gas, liquefied oil gas, vegetable oil, biodiesel, and methanol also produce aldehydes, often in worse conditions. It must be remembered that fossil fuels produce large quantities of formaldehyde, which is much more aggressive than acetaldehyde. Studies carried out in Brazil by CETESB (www.scielo.br/pdf/rsp/v39n3/en_24804.pdf) on diesel vehicles have shown that the emission of aldehydes by these vehicles can be up to 40 times greater than for a vehicle running exclusively on ethanol. In Brazil and elsewhere the emission of aldehydes has been controlled with the aid of catalytic convertors, standard equipment that has been used for years by vehicles that need to meet pollution limits. Air quality studies in regions where ethanol has been used, whether pure or mixed with gaso
