What are gasoline and gasoline additives?
Gasoline is a clear or pale brown, highly flammable liquid with a strong odor. It is manufactured from petroleum and contains more than 150 other chemicals, including benzene and toluene and sometimes lead. Gasoline is used as a fuel for internal combustion engines in cars, some trucks, lawn mowers, motorized equipment, and other vehicles. It can also be used as a solvent. Gasoline additives are chemicals added to gasoline to improve its octane rating and prevent engines from “knocking.” Additives can also increase the oxygen level in gasoline, which reduces the pollution emitted by the engines. One of the first gasoline additives was tetraethyl lead, which was phased out when lead in automotive gasoline was banned in the early 1980s in the United States. The most common gasoline additive used now is methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), which is a colorless, flammable liquid with a strong odor. It is added to gasoline to increase octane and oxygen levels, and reduce pollution emissions.
