Car emissions are waste products produced during the combustion process. Most of a car's emissions are made up of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen gas (N2), and water vapor (H2O). They are not really harmful; however, the emissions that come from carbon dioxide are thought to add to the problem of global warming. Catalytic converters have been introduced for the purpose of reducing the more dangerous emissions that car engines produce. Some of these more dangerous car emissions include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO, N2, or NOx), and hydrocarbons, which are also referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Carbon dioxide is a product of combustion; the oxygen in the air is bound to the carbon within the fuel. Nitrogen gas is an odorless, colorless, tasteless, and mostly motionless gas which constitutes 78 percent of the Earth's air. Water vapors are also a product of combustion, as oxygen bound to the hydrogen within the fuel.
Among the more dangerous car emissions, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas. Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, when combined called NOx) create problems in the atmosphere such as acid rain and smog; nitrogen oxides also contribute to many of the mucus membrane problems that a lot of people suffer from. Hydrocarbons, or volatile organic compounds, are chief contributors to smog. The smog created from hydrocarbons is produced primarily from dissolved or evaporated fuel that has not been burnt.
Modern cars are carefully designed with the intention of managing the quantity of fuel that is burned by maintaining the air-to-fuel ratio as close to a certain point referred to as the stoichiometric point. The stoichiometric point is believed to be the best ratio of air to fuel. The fuel is burned and uses all of the oxygen in the air at the stoichiometric point. Fuel mixture varies significantly from the model ratio when driving, however.
Car emissions contribute to a number of environmental problems, such as air pollution and various environmentally-related health issues. Drivers can help to reduce the amount of pollution that car emissions create, however. Some of the things that drivers can do include avoiding unnecessary driving, driving their cars sensibly, and keeping their cars well maintained. If these strategies are implemented by individual drivers, the amount of pollution and problems created by car emissions can be dramatically reduced. In addition, implementing these strategies will help the driver to save money as well as keep his or her car running longer and more efficiently.
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GlassAxe
Post 3 |
I would just like to ad that the nitrogen and co2 from car emissions is definitely a contributor to global warming and climate change. While these gases may be abundant in the atmosphere, the balance of these molecules is very important. The concentrations of these molecules in the atmosphere have also increased beyond levels ever seen in the natural cycles of atmospheric gases. It is also a tough sell to try and claim that this increase of emissions is not due to anthropogenic causes since we have been in a relatively gentle climate cycle for the last forty thousand years, and the spike coincides with the exponential increase in human populations. |
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PelesTears
Post 2 |
@ Kamekazi- Sadly enough, few areas have restrictions on idling vehicles. Most of the places that do have restrictions are places concerned with sustainability, and densely populated urban areas. I would like to point out that most people idle their cars out of a lack of knowledge. Almost all cars built in the last twenty years do not need to warm up, so idling a car has little to no use. Even in winter, it is recommended that a car warm up under normal driving conditions. Obviously, there are people who idle cars for the comfort that a warm car offers, but in the end, it is better to warm a car up under normal operating conditions. It will save wear and tear on the engine since it is not running as often, and it will save money on oil and fuel costs. Think about all the people who idle their cars for ten or more minutes to take a one or two mile trip. Their odometer only says they are running their vehicle for one or two miles, but for wear and tear concerns, the vehicle has been under operation for three or four times as long. |
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kamekazi
Post 1 |
We live in a residential complex where the complex is quite enclosed with little air circulating on ground level. Some people have the habit of idling their cars for considerable periods to warm up their engine with the result that these emissions enter the units. Surely this habit is unhealthy and cannot be legal. |
