BPCL : E20 petrol attracts ants? BPCL responds to viral claim, explains matter |

A viral video on social media claiming that E20 petrol attracts ants has prompted Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to issue an official clarification. The video, which has been widely shared on the internet, shows a cluster of ants gathering around a fuel filler cap of a car and suggests that the presence of ethanol-blended fuel in the tank is the cause.The clip led many users to believe that the ants were attracted to the fuel’s ethanol content. However, BPCL rejected the claim, saying there was no scientific evidence linking E20 fuel to insect attraction.In explaining this, the oil marketing company explained that the ethanol grade fuel used for blending gasoline goes through fermentation and distillation processes that remove residual sugars from the final product. BPCL further noted that the ethanol used in fuel contains denaturants, substances that usually repel insects.The company also points out that once ethanol is mixed with gasoline, the gasoline’s characteristic hydrocarbon odor remains dominant. In addition, ethanol-blended gasoline produces lower fuel vapors compared to conventional gasoline. According to BPCL, there is no known ingredient in E20 fuel that can attract ants or other insects to a car’s fuel cap.“Claims suggesting a link between E20 fuel and ant attraction have no scientific basis,” BPCL said in its statement, adding that the allegations circulating on social media are baseless and not supported by evidence.The clarification comes at a time when India is steadily increasing the use of ethanol-blended fuels as part of its efforts to reduce dependence on imported crude oil and lower vehicle emissions. E20 fuel is a blend of 20 percent ethanol and 80 percent regular gasoline. Ethanol is a biofuel that is usually produced from agricultural sources such as sugarcane and corn.