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godzilla 22 August 2006 Technology 138 views No Comment Print This Post  Email This Post

HybridCars
nutramed.com
scifun.chem.wisc.edu
epa.gov

We have always been told that automobile is doing lots of harm to our Earth. However, not many of us know the seriousness of the harm. In this entry, I’ll like to highlights what are the main pollutants generated by automobile.

- Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide, CO2, is one of the gases in our atmosphere, being uniformly distributed over the earth’s surface at a concentration of about 0.033% or 330 ppm. Carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere when carbon-containing fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are burned in air. As a result of the tremendous world-wide consumption of such fossil fuels, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased over the past century, now rising at a rate of about 1 ppm per year. Major changes in global climate could result from a continued increase in CO2 concentration.

- Nitrogen dioxide & Nitrogen monoxide
Nitrogen dioxide & Nitrogen monoxide belongs to a family of highly reactive gases called nitrogen oxides (NOx). These gases form when fuel is burned at high temperatures, and come principally from motor vehicle exhaust and stationary sources such as electric utilities and industrial boilers. Nitrogen oxides contribute to ozone formation and can have adverse effects on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Nitrogen oxides in the air can significantly contribute to a number of environmental effects such as acid rain and eutrophication in coastal waters like the Chesapeake Bay.

- Sulphur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas with a pungent odor. It is a liquid when under pressure, and it dissolves in water very easily. Sulfur dioxide in the air comes mainly from activities such as the burning of coal and oil at power plants or from copper smelting. Sulphur dioxide can cause acid rain that seriously affects ecosystems. Sulphur dioxide deposition can affect vegetation around industrial discharges and in cities.

- Suspended particles including PM-10
Particulate matter is the term for solid or liquid particles found in the air. Particles can vary widely in size and composition. Because particles originate from a variety of mobile and stationary sources (diesel trucks, woodstoves, power plants, etc.), their chemical and physical compositions vary widely. The PM10 (particles measuring 10m m or less) standard was designed to identify those particles likely to be inhaled by humans, and PM10 has become the generally accepted measure of particulate material in the atmosphere. Major concerns for human health from exposure to PM-10 include: effects on breathing and respiratory systems, damage to lung tissue, cancer, and premature death. The elderly, children, and people with chronic lung disease, influenza, or asthma, are especially sensitive to the effects of particulate matter. The EPA estimates that particulate pollution kills more than 60,000 people per year.

- Benzene
Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is produced by the burning of natural products. It is a component of products derived from coal and petroleum and is found in gasoline and other fuels. It is used as a constituent in motor fuels; as a solvent for fats, waxes, resins, oils, inks, paints, plastics, and rubber; in the extraction of oils from seeds and nuts; and in photogravure printing. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to benzene may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels, unconsciousness.

- Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbon is a chemical compounds that contain hydrogen and carbon. Its emissions result from incomplete fuel combustion and from fuel evaporation and also when fuel evaporates directly into the atmosphere. Hydrocarbons are a precursor to ground-level ozone which react with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight to form ozone.