Oh sure, car companies are making their product greener than ever before. Yeah, gas companies are making their product burn more “cleanly” whatever that means.
Here’s some light reading:
(Underground gas tank storage leak exposes many residents to low level benzene in the gasoline for years. Elevated leukemia rates ensue.)
(2011 Spanish study recommends that residences should be a minimum 50 yards away from the closest gas station, after measuring pollutants particularly benzene. 100 yards distance is recommended for schools, health care facilities, etc.)
https://phys.org/news/2018-10-gas-stations-vent-toxic-fumes.html
(Columbia University study discovers that the airborne losses from gas fumes via vents are TEN TIMES as much as originally believed. More benzene is released from venting than previously thought. You know, that carcinogen.”The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s Minimal Risk Level (MRL) for benzene exposure over a period between two weeks and a year was exceeded within 7 or 8 meters of the two gas stations.”)
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-small-gas-stations-significant-health.html
(Small spills at gas stations while refuelling create a cumulative risk, including benzene contamination of soil and groundwater.)
(1995 EPA report on the Toxicological Profile for Gasoline. Many documented effects via various routes including inhalation, skin exposure, oral exposure. Negative outcomes include DEATH, neurological problems, heart problems, cancer, reproductive problems, breathing problems, chemical burns and so on.)
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323426.php
(Lightweight article outlines health effects of gasoline exposure, including gas huffing)
https://www.nap.edu/read/4795/chapter/28
(University level textbook chapter about gasoline toxicity)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1520019/?page=1
(1994 “Neurotoxic Effects of Gasoline and Gasoline Constituents”. “Occupational exposure to gasoline has been associated with numerous signs of neurotoxicity. Significant effects on intellectual capacity, psychomotor and vasomotor function, immediate and delayed memory, and an increased proportionate mortality rate(PMR) due to mental and psychoneurotic conditions have been reported for gasoline service workers…”)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222489/
(2011 Study of the Adverse Health effects from living in proximity to industry, including of course gas stations. Adverse Pregnancy outcomes, childhood cancers, cardiovascular, respiratory illnesses and other diseases are increased with variable results from the proximity. Hint: this proximity in no way increases positive health outcomes.)
(2018 Globe and Mail story about a study that found that children ages 2 -6 who lived close to gas stations were four times more likely to develop leukemia and eight times more likely to develop acute non-lymphocytic leukemia)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3271273/
(2012 paper about benzene induced leukemia in humans and risk assessment. “Benzene is associated with multiple adverse health effects. It was shown to induce hemotoxicity in humans over 100 years ago…” “Benzene metabolism is inherently complex and occurs principally in the liver and also in the lung with secondary metabolism occuring in the bone marrow.” )
If you are tired of reading you can watch this:
There is substantial research on the negative effects of gasoline and gasoline additives. This is not news, and is much worse than previously considered.
Yet there are no guidelines from the CSA or the TSSA on the distance underground gasoline storage tank vents should be from a residential property. In Canada. In 2019.
Black Picket Fence 