The Ministry of Environment, announced on Oct. 31, that the environmental quality of motor vehicle fuels has significantly improved for the third quarter.

Since the second quarter of this year, Motor Vehicle Emission Research Laboratory (under the National Institute of Environmental Research) conducted a study on five domestic oil refineries and seven import oil refineries, for the sulfur and benzene content in diesel fuels and gasolines, and came up with the following results for the third quarter of 2002.

-For benzene content in gasolines, domestic oil refineries maintained 0.3~ 0.7% (0.4% in average), which was similar to that of the second quarter, and for the import refineries, the content increased at an average of 0.8%, maintaining a range of 0.7~1.1% (0.9% in average).

-Sulfur-content in gasolines for domestic oil refineries was significantly decreased (about 19%) from the second quarter, maintaining a range of 11~40 ppm (25ppm in average). Import refineries maintained 60~119ppm (91ppm in average), which was also a decrease (8%) from the second quarter.

-For sulfur content in diesel fuels, domestic oil refineries had a decrease of 38% from the second quarter, down to a range of 63-188ppm(average of 128ppm), and import refineries also had a decrease of 18% from the second quarter's average of 325 ppm, maintaining at a range of 220~321ppm (268 ppm in average).

Pollutants emitted by motor vehicles, such as hydrocarbon and nitric oxide have reduced to about 1%~4.4%. Also, benzene emitted by motor vehicles has reduced by as much as 45%. Compared to the second quarter, the significant decrease in the sulfur and benzene content in motor vehicle fuels has contributed to the significant reduction of the air pollution.