Adulteration of petroleum products is referred to as the practice of adding cheaper, lower quality substances to petroleum products to increase volume, decrease production costs or enhancing certain properties. This can include mixing additives to modify its properties. Adulteration compromises the quality and performance of petroleum products and may even lead to environmental and health hazards. It has led to loss of lives, health problems, damaged of vehicles, loss of houses/homes, loss of livelihood, pollution of the air due to tail-pipe emission, significant loss of tax revenue etc. It is often illegal as a result, there is are government regulatory agencies. The detection of adulterated petroleum fractions are experimentally determined by analysis of physiochemical properties which is done in compliance with known regulatory standard. The focus is on physio-chemical properties on two (2) petroleum products (PMS and AGO) samples were collected from filling stations (owned by both independent marketers and major marketers) and black marketers situated at the Head-quarters of the four(4) Local Government Areas Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State. The physiochemical properties carried out were: specific gravity, API gravity, viscosity, flashpoint, cloud and fire point. All these were in accordance with the American Society’s standard process for testing and materials (ASTM). In the final analysis from the result, it is evident that most of the sample obtained from the various petroleum stations /outlets from the areas under study meets the standards. More so, those from the black market and artisanal. But for Diesel and kerosene there is a slight variation from the ASTM standard. This therefore can be infrared that there is adulteration of the products.
Petroleum, Physicochemical, Viscosity, Environment
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