Grain-based Ethanol plants miss the mark on eco impact, saye experts
Environmental scientists warn grain-based ethanol plants in India, especially in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, emit hazardous pollutants like acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and hexane, omitted in green clearances. These pollutants pose health risks, including cancer and neurological issues. Advocacy groups criticize incomplete assessments, urging stricter evaluations for public health and environmental safety.
Hyderabad: Environmental scientists have raised concerns about the likely impact of grain-based ethanol manufacturing units in India, claiming that green clearances for these projects fail to account for the pollutants generated during its production.The Union ministry of environment has cleared several ethanol projects based on grain and sugarcane to support the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme. Most of the proposed plants in Telangana and Andra Pradesh are grain-based. According to Scientists for People, an environmental advocacy group, the environmental clearance documents for these projects list only boiler emissions from coal or biomass combustion, omitting process emissions from ethanol production itself.Citing studies in the United States, retired chief scientist of Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Babu Rao, a key member of the group, said grain-based ethanol plants release hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, acrolein and hexane. These chemicals, known to cause health issues ranging from respiratory irritation to cancer, were identified in research conducted by the University of Nebraska in 2019 and 2020. The studies used biotrickling filters (BTFs) to control emissions from ethanol plants and quantified the pollutants, he said. He emphasised the risks posed by these pollutants, stating their low odour threshold values meant they can be detected even at minimal concentrations by nearby communities. He said that acetaldehyde is classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, formaldehyde as “carcinogenic to humans”, and acrolein as “probably carcinogenic to humans”, according to international classifications. Exposure to hexane can cause severe neurological effects, including numbness, tingling and weakness.
The group said the omission of these pollutants from environmental clearance reports in India exposes rural communities near ethanol plants to considerable health risks. “The experts appraising these projects seem to lack full knowledge of the environmental hazards involved. Their decisions appear to be influenced by political agendas rather than scientific evidence,” Rao saidThe group also questioned the credibility of the Ethanol Blended Petrol policy, asserting that it relies on incomplete or flawed scientific data. They urged a re-evaluation of the environmental assessment process for ethanol projects to ensure public health and environmental safety are prioritised.
About the Author U Sudhakar Reddy
Sudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times of India, Hyderabad. Following the trail of migration and drought across the rustic landscape of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sudhakar reported extensively on government apathy, divisive politics, systemic gender discrimination, agrarian crisis and the will to survive great odds. His curiosity for peeking behind the curtain triumphed over the criminal agenda of many scamsters in the highest political and corporate circles, making way for breaking stories such as Panama Papers Scam, Telgi Stamp Paper Scam, and many others. His versatility in reporting extended to red corridors of left-wing extremism where the lives of security forces and the locals in Maoist-affected areas were key points of investigation. His knack for detail provided crucial evidence of involvement from overseas in terrorist bombings in Hyderabad.
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Source Link : Times Of India
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