With the increase in fuel prices, the share of low-quality gasoline on the market is rising. These conclusions were made public by experts from the Consumer Expertise Institute after checking gas station networks. This is reported by “TSN”.
Experts divided the study participants into a “green” zone without violations and a “red” zone with deviations from standards.
Gasoline quality in Ukraine: inspection results
Six networks entered the “green” zone. Their samples exceeded DSTU requirements. The highest octane rating was recorded in gasoline from the WOG network - 95.9 units. High results were also noted in KLO and PARALLEL - 95.7 and 95.6, respectively.
In terms of sulfur content, which is harmful to the engine and the environment, the lowest values were found in WOG and UKRNAFTA - 2.6 and 3 mg/kg. In KLO, the figure was 5 mg/kg, which is below the norm.
Regarding aromatic hydrocarbons, all samples met the standards. The lowest index was recorded in KLO and AVANTAGE 7 - just over 26% against a norm of up to 35%.
The benzene content, which negatively affects the engine's lifespan, was 0.62% in WOG and UKRNAFTA with a maximum level of up to 1%.
Fuel counterfeiting: where violations were found
The “red” zone included:
- BRSM-Nafta
- MARSHALL
- Neon
- Astra
- Evro 5
- Energy +
At MARSHALL network, the octane number was 93.6 units. Exceedances in sulfur content were recorded in BRSM-Nafta and Energy +. Benzene problems were found in all samples from this group, with the largest deviations in Neon and Energy +.
Experts especially noted the high content of bioethanol. In A-95 gasoline, BRSM-Nafta's share exceeded 10%, and in Evro 5 it was over 35%.
The Director of the Consumer Expertise Institute, Yuriy Chornobryvets, stated that with rising prices, the risk of counterfeiting increases as the economic benefit from blending components becomes higher.
It is worth recalling that a year ago, only BRSM-Nafta and EURO 5 were in the red category.