Air Pollution & Engine Exhaust Emission

Air pollution can be defined as an addition to our atmosphere of any material which will have
a deleterious effect on life upon our planet.
There has been a great concern, in recent years, that the IC Engines are responsible for too
much atmospheric pollution, which is detrimental to human health & environment.

Engine Exhaust Emission

Air pollutants are classified as either primary or secondary contaminants.
A primary air contaminant, such as carbon monoxide gas, or particles of unburned
fuel, is added to the atmosphere as a by-product of burning gasoline or diesel in an
internal combustion engine.
Secondary emissions are emitted as gases and can combine with other airborne
substances to form particles once in the atmosphere.

Contents of Engine Exhaust Emission

Sulfur Oxides
Carbon Monoxide
Hydrocarbons
Nitrogen Oxides
Carbon Dioxide
Smoke
Lead
Compounds of Incomplete Combustion

Health Effects
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
It is an irritant gas and affects the mucous membrane when inhaled.
In the presence of water vapor it forms sulfurous and sulfuric acids. These acids
cause severe bronchospasma at very low levels of concentration.
Diseases like bronchitis and asthma are aggravated by a high concentration of SO2.

Carbon-monoxide (CO)
It has a strong affinity (200 times) for combining with the hemoglobin of the blood to
form carboxy-hemoglobin. This reduces the ability of the hemoglobin to carry oxygen
to the blood tissues.
CO affects the central nervous system.
It is also responsible for heart attacks and a high mortality rate.

Hydrocarbon (HC)

 They are primarily irritating.

They are major contributors to eye and respiratory irritation.

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx)

These are known to cause occupational diseases. It is estimated that eye and nasal
irritation will be observed after exposure to about 15 ppm of nitrogen oxide, and
pulmonary discomfort after brief exposure to 25 ppm of nitrogen oxide.
It also aggravates diseases like bronchitis and asthma.

Compounds of Incomplete combustion

Exhaust discharge from IC engines carry compounds of incomplete combustion
(polycyclic organic compounds and aliphatic hydrocarbons), which act as
carcinogenic agents and are responsible for lungs cancer.

Smoke
It is visible carbon particles. It causes irritation in eyes and lungs, and visibility
reduction. It also, causes other respiratory diseases.

Lead
Inorganic lead compounds (discharged from vehicles using leaded petrol) cause a
variety of human health disorders.
The effects include gastrointestinal damage, liver and kidney damage, abnormality in
fertility and pregnancy etc.

Environmental Effects
Global Climate Change
This "greenhouse effect" keeps the Earth's temperature stable.
Humans have disturbed the natural balance by producing large amounts of some of
these greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane.
As a result, the Earth's atmosphere appears to be trapping more of the sun's heat,
causing the Earth's average temperature to raise - a phenomenon known as global
warming.

Acid Rain due to NOx and SO2 Emission

Acid rain is rain consisting of water droplets that are acidic because of atmospheric
pollution.
Acid deposition can occur via natural sources like volcanoes but it is mainly caused
by the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion.

Crop and Forest Damage

Air pollution can damage crops and trees in a variety of ways.
Ground-level ozone can lead to reductions in agricultural crop and commercial forest
yields, reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings.