Petroleum Standards

Petroleum products currently being sold in Pakistan are wreaking havoc on human health and the environment. The Euro Standard of petroleum products was introduced in 1992 to regulate and control air pollutants released from vehicle engines by improving the quality of petroleum products. The world, including our neighboring countries, have refined their petroleum products to safeguard the citizens and the environment against adverse consequences, and have already moved towards adopting the cleanest petroleum standard, i.e. Euro 6. On the other hand, Pakistani oil companies are still using Euro 2 standard, a much lower standard, which is extremely harmful to human health and the environment. Nitrogen Oxide gases emitted by vehicles using petroleum belonging to the lower standard react to form smog and acid rain which destroy the environment and agriculture, which forms the bedrock of Pakistan’s economy. Furthermore, they also pollute the ground- water supply. According to the World Health Organization, outdoor pollution in Pakistan causes approximately 22,000 premature adult deaths a year and loses approximately 47.8 billion dollars a year due to air pollution related fatalities.