Key Findings

This report has evaluated LP Gas alongside a range of other liquid, solid and gaseous fuels, using
data drawn from a broad base of independent studies. In many applications and regions, LP Gas
has been found to rank as one of the cleanest and most energy efficient of the available fuels.
Some of the key findings are summarised below.
Transport The traditional transport fuels: diesel and gasoline, are identified as a primary
source of air pollution and ill-health, including the incidence of respiratory diseases and cancers.
Much of the European Union’s particle pollution comes from motor vehicle exhaust, and the
health consequences are estimated to impact on the EU economy by up to €161 billion annually
(WHO, 2005-1). For example, diesel cars manufactured prior to the introduction of the “Euro 4”
emission regulations (in 2005 for Europe and later in some other regions) have a health cost
impact of around €11.70 for every 1000km travelled, compared with €0.90 for a car powered by
LP Gas. From 2005 onwards, most diesel cars have been fitted with diesel particle filters, but even
with the latest technologies to reduce particle emissions, the health impact of currently
manufactured diesel cars is still around €3.50 per 1000km.
Cooking Over half of the world’s population still relies on wood, crop waste, or even dried dung
to provide the energy for cooking. Exposure to the pollutants released by these fuels is the direct
cause of premature death for more than 1.5 million people, every year. Providing the means to
cook with LP Gas greatly reduces this exposure, often by a factor of 100 or more, delivering
enormous community health benefits.
Residential Space Heating Without adequate ventilation, or if heating appliances and
associated flues or chimneys are faulty, the concentration of some pollutants can build up to
levels which may be harmful to human health. So many variables influence actual exposure levels
that it is difficult to make meaningful comparisons, but measurements of total pollutant emissions
produced by burning wood and coal show that these fuels produce around 150 times more
carbon monoxide (CO) than LP Gas, per gigajoule of energy produced. Liquid fuels, such as
kerosene, produce levels around 50% higher. The picture is similar for residential boilers.
Residential Water and Space Heating (Outdoor Air Quality) In many locations solid fuel
heaters and boilers produce enough pollution to directly affect the health of people in the
community. Australian research clearly shows that cities where wood burning heaters are
prevalent can have much higher ambient particle levels (43 to 65μg/m3) compared with other
cities (20 to 25μg/m3), even though the non wood-burning cities had much lower population and
traffic densities. The recommended WHO exposure limit (24 hour mean) is 25μg/m3.
Distributed Electricity Generation Unless they are fitted with sophisticated emission control
technologies, generator sets can produce very high levels of high particle (PM) and oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) emissions, with commensurably high health impacts. For a typical mid-size
generator, running for 12 hours a day with an average load of 80kW, the annual health impact
cost can be in the order of €47,000 for a diesel fuelled unit, compared with less than €2,000 for an
equivalent generator set powered by LP Gas. Small, domestic size generator sets also benefit
from using LP Gas. Small 4-stroke gasoline powered generators have a health impact cost around
1.5 times higher than LP Gas, and for a similar 2-stroke version the relative health impact factor
rises to over 4.5.