Benefits of Using Biodiesel

Lesser Emission of Carbon dioxide
Fossil fuels are the largest contributors to emission of carbon dioxide in the air and the consequent global warming that is adversely impacting the climate of the earth. Compared to fossil fuels, production and use of biodiesel contributes far less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The actual extent of the release of this gas is however dependent on the process used to produce biodiesel and the effects considered for the calculation to determine the extent of release. Such calculations usually include the cost of growing the plant for biodiesel, transporting the feedstock to the production unit and the processing cost of converting the feedstock to biodiesel. Effects that are left out in the calculation are the cost incurred due to cultivating feedstock for biodiesel and not food crops, transportation cost for carrying biodiesel to the site of use from the factory, the extent of efficiency of biodiesel over the petroleum diesel and the benefits derived from the byproducts generated in the process of making biodiesel like glycerin. The carbon dioxide produced and released in the air from the tailpipe can be more in respect of biodiesel and this effect is also excluded from the calculation.

Less Pollution
As a substitute fuel for petroleum diesel in the USA, the requirements for effects on health have been met by biodiesel under the Clean Air Act of 1990. Presence of aromatic hydrocarbons has been reduced considerably in biodiesel. Benzopyrene has been reduced by 71% and benzofluoranthene by 56%. Performance of biodiesel in reducing tailpipe emission of particulates is better than diesel with low sulfur content and the extent of reduction may be as high as 20%. However this is applicable for vehicles using particulate filters. The particulate emissions during production of fossil fuels are higher by 50% compared to such emissions from the biodiesel production. Petroleum diesel has cetane less than 40 whereas it is higher in biodiesel. This factor enhances performance of the engine and reduces emission. Health hazards posed by biodiesel are insignificant compared to normal diesel. Effects on inhaling the gas or coming into skin contact with it are negligible though emission from biodiesel may cause eye irritation.

Non-toxic & Biodegradable
The easy biodegradability and non-toxicity have made biodiesel a fuel that causes much less pollution than the fossil fuels. Degradation rate of petroleum diesel is reduced by about 50% when blended with biodiesel due to co-metabolism. The degradation rate of biodiesel is in fact 5 times higher compared to normal diesel and same as dextrose control. When tested in soil, biodiesel has been found to degrade in soil at a rate two times faster than petroleum diesel. Unlike the normal diesel, biodiesel degrades completely and leaves no intermediates that degrade at a low rate. As regards the toxic effects, biodiesel has been found to have very low effects on the animals experimented with no report of animal mortality. While petroleum diesel with equal concentration also did not result in mortality, toxic effects were clearly visible on the animals in the form of discoloration of urine and loss of hair.

More articles:
History of biodiesel - Biodiesel: Applications & Uses