About the University of Calgary

Why Remove Sulfur?

Sulfur is the third most abundant element in crude oil (Ma, 2010). When sulfur containing hydrocarbons in fuel are burned, S0₂ and S0₃ are released into the atmosphere, and are major component in air pollution, acid rain, and dry acid deposition (Reichmuth et al., 2000). Acid rain (rain with a pH less than 5.3) can cause acidification of aquatic and terrestrial environments, causing nutrient leeching and damaging the health and habitats of many species not tolerant to acidification. Sulfur dioxide can also aggravate respiratory health issues. In addition, sulfur in fuels can reduce the effectiveness of vehicular emmision control measures such as catalytic converters, as well as reduce the life and cause damage to valuable catalysts in the oil refining process.