Sunday, July 10, 2016

There have been all  kinds of additives added to gasoline over the years. Capitalism always demands more profit for less money..
Dur­ing WWI, it was discovered that you can add a chemical called tetraethyl lead to gasoline and significantly improve its octane rating. Cheaper grades of gasoline could be made usable by adding this chemical. This led to the widespread use of "ethyl" or "leaded" gasoline. Unfortunately, the side effects of adding lead to gasoline are:
  • Lead clogs a catalytic converter and renders it inoperable within minutes.
  • The Earth became covered in a thin layer of lead, and lead is toxic to many living things (including humans).
(CH3CH2)4Pb - Pb is lead. It is the central atom of this compound. Each arm extending from the lead atom has two carbons. Off those carbons are hydrogen atoms.

Tetra is another word for "four." Quad is yet another word.

CH3 with a CH2 is considered an 'ethyl' molecule. 

Hence the name tetraethyl lead.

Four molecules of ethyl attached to a central lead atom.

See the molecule carried extra carbons and hydrogens into the fuel tank. The additive would enter the internal combustion engine and the 'ethyl' was burned no different than any other hydrocarbon, but, the lead atom would be emitted out the tailpipe and into the air we breath and water we drink.

What gets me with all these manipulations by Wall Street for greater profits is that they never bother to let consumers know how deadly their profit margin really is. Does anyone believe the petroleum industry didn't know before they sold gasoline with this additive that it was dangerous to human health as well as nature? I mean does anyone actually think the petroleum industry when, "Oops" when the US government stated the industry could not use this additive anymore?

I think the petroleum industry knew exactly what they were doing and didn't care. I am quite confident there is laboratory data somewhere that states same. But, this was WWI  and the evil had to be defeated at any cost even if every American succumbed to lead poisoning. Amazing.
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