Which environmental factor is critical to consider when storing fuel?

When storing fuel, the proximity to water sources is a critical environmental factor to consider because water contamination can severely impact fuel quality and safety. Fuel is less dense than water, so even small amounts of water in storage tanks can lead to stratification, where water settles at the bottom. This creates issues such as corroded storage tanks, microbial growth, and phase separation, all of which compromise the stability and usability of the fuel. Keeping fuel storage away from water sources helps prevent these problematic interactions and ensures that the integrity of the fuel is maintained over time.

While humidity levels, daily temperature fluctuations, and regulatory standards are indeed important considerations in fuel storage, they do not have the same direct and immediate effect on contamination and degradation as the presence of water does.