Gas Stations Research Articles

Measuring Lead Levels in The Blood of Workers in Filling Stations and Maintenance of Generators for Different People Age Groups

A study examining lead concentrations in gas stations found a significant difference between workers and non-workers. Workers at gas stations, including those in generator maintenance, were found to have higher lead concentrations than non-workers. The concentrations ranged from 9.621 to 14.801 ppm at the unit filling gasoline station (Basra petrol) to 10.831 to 15.02 ppm at the Morgan filling gasoline station (Samawa gasoline). The lower limits of lead concentrations were 9.267 and 13.542 ppm at Abu Ajaj filling station. The concentrations of lead in the blood of workers servicing gasoline-powered generators ranged from 9.821 to 13.82 ppm, while those in residential areas had concentrations between 10.01 and 13.524 ppm. The World Health Organization has set standards for lead concentrations in the blood, with permissible limits of 10 parts per million. The study highlights the need for increased awareness and regulation of lead exposure in gas stations.

Potential of an Integrated Platform for EV Charging Station and Ancillary Services

Since the creation the first successful electric car in 1890, the world has seen a rapid increase in the advancement of Electric Vehicle (EV) cars along with increasing demand for such vehicles. However, despite multiple benefits that EV cars offer, such as their sustainable nature, potential car buyers are still hesitant on purchasing an EV car due to concerns about its relatively short travelling range. While the technology powering EV cars has made significant strides, petrol cars can travel much further on a single tank of fuel than EV cars can on a single charge: electric cars can only travel between 100-300 miles on a single charge, whereas gas cars have a range of 300-600 miles. Furthermore, infrastructure is another benefit that gas-powered vehicles have over electric ones. Particularly in rural areas, gas stations are far more common and easily accessible than charging stations. While some owners of electric vehicles might be able to charge their vehicles at home or at the office, they might have trouble finding charging stations when they are out and about. Hence, EV drivers or potential car buyers share a common concern that EV cars will run of gas frequently, leading to inconvenient trips to gas stations. Through our research, by abstaining user experience and feedback, we were able to identify substantial demand for a platform or service that improves the accessibility of EV charging stations for EV car drivers. This paper will include a thorough representation of relevant results and a deep analysis on the potential of a platform that provides easily accessible charging stations as well as other car-related services.

Assessing a fuel subsidy: Dynamic effects on retailer pricing and pass-through to consumers

This paper aims to investigate whether fuel retailers strategically increased prices following a subsidy intended to cover a mandatory discount and to assess its impact on transmission to consumers. Introduced by the Spanish government in April 2022 to counter soaring fuel prices resulting from the Ukraine conflict, the impact of this subsidy is analyzed using a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag-ECM to estimate counterfactual net prices over a three-month period. The analysis shows that the price reaction during the subsidy period differed by fuel type and timing. While evidence of price responses for gasoline is generally lacking, significant responses are estimated for diesel. Gas stations operated by major companies, which received a subsidy covering 80% of the required discount, increased diesel net prices by about 3 cents per liter during the analyzed period. In contrast, stations independent of these companies, whose discount was fully subsidized, raised their prices by approximately 6 cents per liter. The pass-through to diesel consumers at these independent stations has been around 60% on average, falling well below that by the end of the period. Some caution is warranted when implementing this policy measure, given the notably incomplete pass-through revealed in the most important fuel product and the largest group of stations.

Modeling User Intentions for Electric Vehicle Adoption in Thailand: Incorporating Multilayer Preference Heterogeneity

Background: The automotive industry is pivotal in advancing sustainability, with electric vehicles (EVs) essential for reducing emissions and promoting cleaner transport. This study examines the determinants of EV adoption intentions in Thailand, integrating demographic and psychographic factors from Environmental psychology and innovation diffusion theory; Methods: Data from a structured questionnaire, administered to 4003 respondents at gas stations with EV charging facilities across Thailand, were analyzed using a Correlated Mixed-Ordered Probit Model with Heterogeneity in Means (CMOPMHM); Results: Findings indicate that younger adults, particularly those aged 25–34 years old and 45–54 years old, are more likely to adopt EVs, whereas conventional or hybrid vehicle owners are less inclined. Rural residency or travel also hinders adoption. Individuals with strong environmental values and openness to new technologies are more likely to adopt EVs; Conclusions: The proposed model quantified the relative importance of these factors and uncovered heterogeneity in user preferences, offering reliable and valuable insights for policymakers, EV manufacturers, and researchers. The study suggests targeted policies and enhanced charging infrastructure, especially in rural areas, and recommends leveraging environmental values and trialability through communication campaigns and test drive events. These insights can guide the development of targeted incentives, infrastructure expansion, communication strategies, and trialability programs to effectively promote wider EV adoption in Thailand and similar markets.

Safety System Study of Gas Stations Based on Preliminary Hazard Analysis and Fault Tree Analysis

Safety System Study of Gas Stations Based on Preliminary Hazard Analysis and Fault Tree Analysis

The influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in maintaining loyalty at Coco SPBU in Medan City

Nowadays, more and more people use private vehicles, resulting in an increase in the number of vehicles and also fuel consumption. Customer satisfaction is one of the factors that influences customer loyalty. Customer loyalty is an indicator of success in making customers interested in using services or products again. The aim of this research is to determine the factors that influence service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty at COCO gas stations in Medan City, North Sumatra. This research is quantitative research. The data analysis method used is Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) Smart PLS software version 4. The population in this study are customers at COCO gas stations in Medan City, North Sumatra. This research uses a questionnaire data collection technique with a sample of 100 respondents, which contains 18 indicator questions that can represent an assessment of gas station services. From this research, the results show that there is a significant influence on physical evidence and power on customer satisfaction, as well as customer satisfaction on customer loyalty.

A RBI Mapping Geographic Information System in Pangkep Regency Using ArcGis Online

The Indonesian Medan Map (RBI) is a topographic map that displays several natural and man-made elements in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia, especially in Pangkep Regency. The purpose of this study is to map sixteen RBI objects, namely Hospitals, Education, Industry, Health Centers, PLN Offices, Package Delivery Offices, Worship Facilities, Government, Ports, Post Offices, Gas Stations, Rivers, Dams, Roads, Irrigation, and Settlements. Use the ArcGIS Online app. This mapping is useful for providing information about the spatial data of objects and topographic maps. The method used is a survey by determining the coordinate points of each object. Furthermore, coordinate points are used as data input in ArcGIS applications. Primary data collection is carried out by direct observation of objects or places. Secondary data collection includes Quickbird Citra Pangkep Regency, as well as the Indonesian Medan Map (RBI). Data analysis was carried out in a descriptive manner. Based on the results of object mapping in Pangkep Regency, there are sixteen RBI objects, including: three health service objects, one education object, four transportation objects, five construction work service objects, one government object, one housing object and one worship object object. Sixteen RBI objects are spread throughout Pangkep district.

The relationship between alcohol availability and drink-driving policies and admissions to substance use disorder treatment during pregnancy.

Pregnancy-specific alcohol policies are widely adopted yet have limited effectiveness and established risks. It is unknown whether general population alcohol policies are effective during pregnancy. This study investigated associations between general population policies and alcohol treatment admission rates for pregnant people specifically. Data are from the Treatment Episodes Data Set: Admissions and state-level policy data for 1992-2019 (n=1,331 state-years). The primary outcome was treatment admissions where alcohol was the primary substance, and the secondary outcome included admissions where alcohol was any substance. There were five policy predictors: 1) Government spirits monopoly, 2) Ban on Sunday sales, 3) Grocery store sales, 4) Gas station sales, and 5) Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) laws. Covariates included poverty, unemployment, per capita cigarette consumption, state and year fixed effects, and state-specific time trends. In models with alcohol as the primary substance, prohibiting spirits sales in grocery stores (vs. allowing heavy beer and spirits) had lower treatment admission rates [IRR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.78-0.99, p=0.028]. States with BAC laws at 0.10% (vs. no law) had higher treatment admission rates [IRR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.08-1.43, p=0.003]. When alcohol was any substance, prohibiting spirits sales in grocery stores (vs. allowing heavy beer and spirits) was again associated with lower treatment admission rates [IRR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.80-0.98, p=0.021], but there was no association for BAC laws. Restrictions on grocery store spirits sales and BAC laws were associated with lower and higher alcohol treatment admission rates among pregnant people, respectively, suggesting general population alcohol policies are relevant for pregnant people's treatment utilization.

Bird Nuisance at an Oil Gathering Station: A Landscape and Site Analysis

Abstract Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a migratory bird. In Petapahan Gas Station (GS), Riau, this bird roost in a big number and create some nuisance due to their faeces. The objective of this paper was to analyse the possible causes of swallow’s roost behaviour at the landscape and site level, and formulate some recommendations. Migratory bird route was studied, the surrounding areas was analysed using, and characteristics of the GS was observed. Petapahan happened to be located at the known bird migratory route. The land-use of surrounded areas was a vast area of oil-palm plantation mixed with agricultural-area, open-area, and housing, create an excellent habitat for insects as the bird’s food. There was no other alternative for roost-site in the 5km radius. At the GS there are many large pipes, small pipes, handrails, I-beams, C-beams, valves, flares, big tanks, pits, office, and many other instruments that can function as the barn swallow’s roost site. Warm temperature, sufficient lighting, and safety from predator also provided good support. Basically, the GS has to accept the occurrence of the birds, while employing some management actions: (1) setting zonation for bird-free and bird-tolerance areas, and (2) put netting and other bird deterrent sensitive sites.

Asthma Among Manitoba Workers: Results from the Manitoba Occupational Disease Surveillance System

BackgroundThis study characterized the risk of new-onset asthma among workers in Manitoba, Canada. MethodsAccepted time loss claims from the Workers' Compensation Board of Manitoba from 2006 to 2019, containing workers' occupations and industries, were linked with administrative health data from 1996 to 2020. After restricting the cohort to the first claim per person in an occupation and applying age and coverage exclusions, the cohort comprised 142,588 person–occupation combinations. Asthma cases were identified if workers had at least two medical records for asthma (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, 493) within a 12-month period, within the 2 years before 3 years after cohort entry. New-onset asthma was identified using a 3-year washout period. Asthma hazard ratios by occupation and industry were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for age, and stratified by sex. ResultsIncreased asthma risk was observed among workers with known asthmagen exposure, including male veterinary and animal health technologists and technicians (hazard ratio 3.97, 95% CI 1.78–8.86), male fish processing workers (3.40, 1.53–7.57), and male machining tool operators (2.91, 1.72–4.92). Increases were also observed for occupations with unknown or suspected allergens, including gas station attendants, drivers, mail/postal and related workers, public works and maintenance laborers, mine laborers and crane operators, and some indoor worker groups. Decreased risks were observed among nurses and residential and commercial installer and servicers. ConclusionThis database linkage study successfully identified occupations and industries with known sensitizing agents or irritants, and several occupation and industries not typically associated with work-related asthma, warranting further investigation.

Predictive analysis and risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in Beijing gas station soils using machine learning and two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations

Gas stations not only serve as sites for oil storage and refueling but also as locations where vehicles frequently brake, significantly enriching the surrounding soil with potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Herein, 117 topsoil samples from gas stations were collected in Beijing to explore the impact of gas stations on PTE accumulation. The analysis revealed that the average Pollution Index (PI) values for Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, and Zn in the soil samples all exceeded 1. The random forest (RF) model, achieving an AUC score of 0.95, was employed to predict PTE pollution at 372 unsampled gas stations. Additionally, a Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model indicated that gas station operations and vehicle emissions were responsible for 70 % of the lead (Pb) enrichment. Probabilistic health risk assessments showed that the carcinogenic risk (CR) and noncarcinogenic risk (NCR) for PTE pollution to adult females were the highest, at 0.451 and 1.61E-05 respectively, but still within acceptable levels. For adult males at contaminated sites, the Pb-associated CR and NCR were approximately twice as high as those at uncontaminated sites, with increases of 107 % and 81 %, respectively. This study provides new insights for managing pollution caused by gas stations.

Local economic development strategy through hiking tourism: A case study of the selo trail on Mount Merbabu

Background: The existence of the Selo Hiking Trail tourist attraction also provides job opportunities for the local community to work in various business units. Method: Using Multiplier Effect analysis, this study shows that tourism activities along the Selo Trekking Trail significantly impact the livelihoods of the local community. Economically assessed through Multiplier Effect Analysis, the Keynesian Income Multiplier was found to be 0.6, with a Type I Income Multiplier Ratio of 3.3, and a Type II Income Multiplier Ratio of 3.5, highlighting the substantial economic benefits derived from tourism along the Selo Trekking Route. Result: The study indicates that the high leakage rates, particularly in transportation and logistics costs outside the tourist destination, encourage the development of new business units such as convenience stores or minimarkets, as well as gas stations to meet the needs of tourists. Conclusion: To enhance the broader economic impact of tourism, further research and development are needed, especially in the context of culture-based rural tourism or Community-Based Tourism initiatives. This approach aims to promote sustainable economic benefits while preserving cultural heritage and increasing community participation in tourism activities. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study uses Multiplier Effect Analysis to measure the economic impact of nature tourism and provides quantitative evidence of substantial economic benefits to local communities. The study also identifies new business development opportunities to reduce economic leakage, providing a framework for community-based sustainable tourism development.

Epoxy resin coatings doped with layered double hydroxide for enhanced anti-permeation performance

Excessive permeation from in-service fuel storage tanks at gas stations can lead to serious damage to the environment. Epoxy resin (EP), as a common impermeable coating, its performance may gradually fail due to corrosion and other problems. Layered double hydroxide (LDH), serving as a lamellar inorganic nanofiller, can be incorporated into epoxy resin to improve the anti-permeation properties, while easy agglomeration and poor compatibility of LDH in epoxy resin make the composites difficult to achieve the desired performance. In this work, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was adopted to connect LDH and epoxy resin from the interfacial enhancement and interlayer regulation points of view. A series of advanced characterizations were applied to analyze the chemical state and morphology of LDH-SDS/EP composite castings. When doped with 3 wt% LDH-SDS, its mass change rate after 28 days of immersion in No.0 diesel fuel was 0.093%, and the flexural strength reached 95.56 MPa, which indicated that the interfacial and interlayer regulation by SDS enhanced anti-permeation performance and effectively alleviated the loss of mechanical properties of the composite coating. Molecular dynamic simulation was further used to reveal the mechanism of enhanced anti-permeation performance by SDS regulation. The results showed that the enhanced anti-permeation performance by SDS regulation could be attributed to the regulated nanofillers of stronger molecular binding with EP matrix and reduced nanofiller/polymer interface. The regulation of LDH can be widely employed to enhance the performance of epoxy resin in extensive applications.

Assessing VOC emissions from different gas stations: impacts, variations, and modeling fluctuations of air pollutants

Gas stations distributed around densely populated areas are responsible for toxic pollutant emissions such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study aims to measure VOCs emission from three different kinds of gas stations to determine the extent of pollution from the gas stations and the most frequent type of VOC compound emitted. The concentrations of ambient VOCs at three refueling stations with a different type of fuels in Mashhad were monitored. The result of this study showed that CNG fuel stations are less polluting than petrol stations. In all the studied sites, the highest concentrations were related to xylene isomers, irrespective of the fuel type. Total VOCs at the supply of both compressed natural gas (CNG) and gasoline stations was 482.36 ± 563.45 µg m−3. At a CNG station and a gasoline station, total VOC concentrations were 1363.4 ± 1975 µg m−3 and 410.29 ± 483.37 µg m−3, respectively. The differences in concentrations of toluene and m,p-xylene between the fuel stations can be related to the quality and type of fuel, vapor recovery technology, fuel reserves, dripless nozzles, traffic density in these stations, meteorological conditions and the location of sampling sites. The combination of a sine function and a quadratic function could model the fluctuation behavior of air pollutants like m,p-xylene. In all the sites, the highest concentrations were related to xylene isomers, irrespective of the type of fuel. The changing rate of m,p-xylene pollutant in each station was also modeled in this study.

Toward just and equitable mobility: Socioeconomic and perceptual barriers for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the United States

Based on a large-scale public survey, we identify and quantify the significance of key factors associated with the deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Our results indicate that individual characteristics, such as income, age, region, and single vs. multi-family housing type can significantly affect electric vehicle purchase preferences, especially those concerning overnight charging and perceptions of benefits and barriers. Moreover, our results challenge earlier findings in the literature by showing how certain elements, such as expected electric driving range, certain travel behaviors (e.g., driving distance, destination types), the most common perceived benefits (e.g., cleaner air) or barriers (e.g., reliability concerns), and preferred location for public charging seem to not vary much or at all with the socioeconomic, demographic, and geographical variables examined in this study. We conclude with the implications for policies to advance equitable vehicle electrification. Our findings underscore the importance of lower-cost models of electric vehicles, home and public charging access, charging infrastructure planning, more integrated analysis of interlinked housing and transportation needs and solutions, the availability of alternative transportation modes, and the potential role of gas stations for electric vehicles. We encourage others to build on these results and have shared our complete survey instrument as an added contribution.

Multi-period urban hydrogen refueling stations site selection and capacity planning with many-objective optimization for hydrogen supply chain

The location and quantity of hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) play a crucial role in the development and promotion of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs). This study proposes a multi-period urban HRSs site selection and capacity planning with many-objective optimization framework for hydrogen supply chain (HSC). Firstly, the city's multi-period hydrogen requirement is predicted based on a generalized Bass diffusion model. Using publicly available data, including gas station network data, geographic information system (GIS) data, population data, and regional economic data, a spatially aggregated demand model is established to allocate hydrogen requirement at candidate sites in the city of the geographic grid model with a 1 km resolution. On this basis, four interrelated objective functions (total investment cost, hydrogen requirement coverage, risk coefficient, and environmental factors) are developed. The third-generation non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-III) and the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) are employed to achieve multi-period urban HRSs site selection and capacity planning with many-objective optimization for HSC. By comparing the results of single-objective optimization focusing on minimum cost and maximum hydrogen requirement coverage, it is observed that many-objective optimization achieves a better balance among the four conflicting objectives. After comprehensive analysis, the distribution of HRSs exhibits a clustered structure, influenced by the population and economic structure of the city. In the initial stages of HFCV development, most stations serve the peripheral areas around the city center; while n the later stages of the optimization period, a few high-capacity HRSs begin to concentrate in the city center.

A novel optimization model for tackling capacity challenges in natural gas gathering systems

In the layout optimization of natural gas gathering pipeline network, a lot of work has been done, but few scholars focus on the capacity optimization of gas gathering station (short for station). The structural relationship parameters of dendritic pipeline network and the flow parameters of pipeline network are complicated, which makes it difficult to establish the model, and at the same time, the existence of nonlinear term causes the difficulty of solving the problem. In the current two stage star-dendritic natural gas gathering pipeline network, pipeline sizes and station capacity are not well taken into account for the optimization of pipeline network layout at the same time. In this paper, a consideration station capacity and pipeline sizes: Two-stage star-dendritic network layout optimization model (SCPSTSDLO-Model) is constructed by integrating the factors of site discrete characteristics, station capacity and pipeline sizes, and considering the hydraulic pressure drop conditions of the network, and a solution framework based on the nonlinear processing is proposed, which can obtain the optimization results of optimal affiliation, station type, station site and pipeline sizes at the same time. Five cases are used to verify the validity and accuracy of the model and algorithm, compare the sensitivity analysis and solution algorithm, compare the hydraulic pressure drop conditions, and analyze the application in different forms of pipeline networks. The results show that the SCPSTSDLO-Model and the solution method established in this paper can obtain the optimal solutions under different topologies according to the application requirements, taking into account the capacity of stations and pipeline sizes.

Implementation of Work Competency Certificates (WCC) for Fisherman Gas Station Construction Project Workers at PT. XYZ

In the era of globalization and intense competition in the construction sector, having a Work Competency Certificate (WCC) is crucial for project workers to meet established work safety and skill standards. This research aims to explore the causes of not having a Work Competency Certificate (WCC) by construction workers and the solution to this problem in the Fuel Filling Station for Fishermen (SPBU Nelayan) project. Qualitative descriptive methods were used in this research by collecting data through field observations, interviews and documentation. Research findings reveal that the main barriers to obtaining WCC include mismatching educational levels, lack of understanding of the importance of WCC, and lack of relevant work experience. The strategies adopted to overcome this problem include training for employee development, increasing awareness about the benefits of WCC, and implementing effective human resource management to support employee professional growth and improve work safety standards. The results of this research emphasize the importance of overcoming barriers to obtaining WCC and implementing holistic strategies in improving employee qualifications, which in turn provides benefits in the form of competitive advantage and increased job security standards.

Diesel removal in non-aqueous phase by fibres from Calotropis procera: kinetic, isothermal and sorption potential evaluation

ABSTRACT Calotropis procera fibres have been proposed for free-phase diesel removal in case of spillage into groundwater. For this, characterizations were carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), wettability and contact angle measurements. Sorption oil capacity, kinetic, isothermal and recycling behaviour were evaluated. For initial optimization of the oil sorption capacity, an experimental design (DOE) was applied, with the optimized condition being 60 g L−1 of diesel in water and 0.01 g of fibre. Then, the results clearly indicated that the fibres have a hydrophobic and oleophilic character, quickly reaching more than 71.43 g g−1 of diesel sorption, according to the adjustment (R² > 0.99) of the pseudo-second order and Langmuir models, governed by absorption mechanisms. It should also be noted that at the end of 8 reuse cycles, the fibre presented a total accumulated sorption capacity of about 252.6 g g−1 of diesel. Furthermore, a laboratory-scale experiment was carried out to remove diesel from groundwater in gas station areas, the fibre removed 98.55% to 99.97% of removal efficiencies were achieved of the free phase over time. Therefore, the material demonstrates excellent characteristics for removing diesel spills in groundwater due to its fast, high and stable removal capacity.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue and stress among gas station workers in China: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionWork-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are disorders of the musculoskeletal system that have the highest prevalence among workers worldwide. Workers in gas stations usually work in poor ergonomic working conditions, including...