Uploaded August 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation gasoline, also known as avgas, are the largest remaining aggregate source of lead emissions to air in the United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that owners and operators of more than 167,000 piston-engine aircraft operating in the United States rely on avgas to power their aircraft. Avgas is the only remaining lead-containing transportation fuel. The lead in avgas prevents damaging engine knock, or detonation, that can result in a sudden engine failure. Unfortunately, lead is a toxic substance and this is why the FAA, EPA and industry are partnering to remove it from aviation gasoline in the future by developing high octane, unleaded fuel formulations.
To share information about these concerns, the fact sheet Leaded Aviation Fuel and the Environment was released by the FAA in 2019. In it, tetraethyl lead, or TEL, is described as the compound that contains lead that is used as an additive to boost octane. The publication also shares the fact that the ban of TEL in automobile gas was phased in over a number of years and was largely completed by 1986, resulting in significant reductions of lead emissions to the environment. TEL has not yet been banned for use in avgas, because no operationally safe alternative is currently available. However, FAA does acknowledge that that all forms of lead are toxic if inhaled or ingested, and that lead can affect human health in several ways, including the nervous system, red blood cells, and the cardiovascular and immune systems.
These are just a few things to know about leaded aviation fuel and potential environmental exposures until a safe alternative to replace TEL is available. To learn more about this or other environmental, industrial hygiene, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation gasoline, also known as avgas, are the largest remaining aggregate source of lead emissions to air in the United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that owners and operators of more than 167,000 piston-engine aircraft operating in the United States rely on avgas to power their aircraft. Avgas is the only remaining lead-containing transportation fuel. The lead in avgas prevents damaging engine knock, or detonation, that can result in a sudden engine failure. Unfortunately, lead is a toxic substance and this is why the FAA, EPA and industry are partnering to remove it from aviation gasoline in the future by developing high octane, unleaded fuel formulations.
To share information about these concerns, the fact sheet Leaded Aviation Fuel and the Environment was released by the FAA in 2019. In it, tetraethyl lead, or TEL, is described as the compound that contains lead that is used as an additive to boost octane. The publication also shares the fact that the ban of TEL in automobile gas was phased in over a number of years and was largely completed by 1986, resulting in significant reductions of lead emissions to the environment. TEL has not yet been banned for use in avgas, because no operationally safe alternative is currently available. However, FAA does acknowledge that that all forms of lead are toxic if inhaled or ingested, and that lead can affect human health in several ways, including the nervous system, red blood cells, and the cardiovascular and immune systems.
These are just a few things to know about leaded aviation fuel and potential environmental exposures until a safe alternative to replace TEL is available. To learn more about this or other environmental, industrial hygiene, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
