Automotive Pollution – Threat to the Environment
by MohantyAutomotive pollution is amount of air pollution done by the exhausts and emissions from a wide range of automotives. With the growing technology and innovation in the country, the numbers of vehicles are also increasing.
In India, there is a huge variety of automotive where cars place a major position. Commercial vehicles and passenger car are believed to contribute maximum to environmental pollution. Today, as more and more people are wearing a green conscience, the impact of global warming and measures of environmental protection are highly considered.
Many Indian car manufacturers like Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, and Honda are presently working on their green projects to ensure protection to the environment and even help car owners to reduce their fuel bills.
Common Car Pollutants
The key component responsible for automobile pollution
is the combustion engine. To ignite the car, combustion engine requires a mixture of air and fuel. The gasoline in the car is composed of a mixture of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide. The unburnt quantity of these gases in the combustion engine emit out as pollutants.
Automotive pollution is increased if in case the engine is faulty and when the air to fuel mixture is not in a correct ratio. This results in excessive use of fuel consumption, eventually resulting in lower mileage and performance.
The main car pollutants that have negative effects on the environment are:
• Carbon Monoxide: Carbon monoxide is a destructive gas produced as a result of incomplete burning of hydrocarbons in the internal combustion engine. Maximum amount of carbon monoxide is produced when the air exceeds the amount of fuel present in the engine. The key reason for increased level of automotive carbon monoxide is irregular maintenance of car engine. It is also said that cars produce about 90% of the total carbon monoxide content which in turn contribute to pollution.
• Nitrogen Oxide: Nitrogen reacts with oxygen atoms when there is high pressure and high temperature. Both these atoms react together to form nitrogen oxide that is one of the most harmful gases for both the environment as well as human. These are also believed to contribute to acid rain formation and about 72% to global warming.
• Hydrocarbon: These are composed of hydrogen and water and are produced during combustion. Composed of different molecular weight substances, these often pose a great risk to human as well as the environment.
Long Term Solutions
All the modern cars are equipped with catalytic convertor that helps reduce the amount of air pollution from passenger cars. With further development in technology and innovation advanced engine technologies and alternative fuels are introduced to protect the environment. These days, the trend of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is increasing in the car industry.
Some of the car manufacturers in India are even looking researching on the water and air technology. In far future air cars and water cars will also be found on India roads.