According to these MSDSs, the toxicity of gasoline (
http://firstfuelbank.com/msds/Tesoro.pdf) is 1=slight, and the toxicity of dimethylfuran is 3 = high (
http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/20240).
Great substitution.
And since it's lipophilic, it'll end up in the food chain and bioaccumulate. Why do these people think you can perform an exotic process on a material and that this is not going to create any problems? Just because they can make it from plants, it can't be bad?
"Dumesic says more research is required before the technology can be commercialized. For example, while its environmental health impact has not been thoroughly tested, the limited information available suggests DMF is similar to other current fuel components."
Well, that's hardly comforting, given that current fuel combustion byproducts already contain a number of serious problem chemicals. See, for example:
http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/EDC/pdf/gu ... 192001.pdf
The sad fact is that they probably will develop this and other exotic fuels, and start adding them into gasoline to try to extend the supply as much as possible. They understand quite well that unless people drop dead on the spot, they're pretty much off the hook, and they couldn't care less if you get cancer or whatever. In fact, that's good for GDP. And it also doubles as nerve gas, so they don't even have to bother with the messy camps and showers and ovens.
Bah.