How Does Vehicle Exhaust Pollute the Land?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cars are the largest contributor to air pollution on the planet. (See Reference 1) Every time you start your car's engine, that vehicle releases pollutants in to the air. Even new cars equipped with anti-pollution devices like catalytic converters still cause some air pollution. Pollution in the air leads to poor air quality, health concerns, and rising greenhouse gases.
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Carbon Monoxide
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When a car burns up fuel, small amounts of carbon inside that gas fail to burn, which creates carbon monoxide that releases in to the air. Carbon monoxide is a source of pollution. The gas creates smog at the ground level, contributes to greenhouse gasses, and can cause serious health problems even in healthy individuals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, motor vehicle exhaust is responsible for 56% of the carbon monoxide emissions in the United States. (See Reference 2)
Nitrogen Dioxide
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Car release a large amount of nitrogen dioxide in to the air through exhaust. Nitrogen dioxide is a leading source of ground level air pollutants. The gas is also harmful to human health and can cause respiratory problems in healthy individuals. The Environmental Protection Agency has sets several standards for the nitrogen dioxide levels a vehicle can produce, which will greatly reduce these gasses in the future.
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Lead
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Lead is found in gasoline. When gasoline burns, lead releases in to the air as a form of air pollution. Lead has serious effects to both human and environmental health. When humans inhale lead in the air, kidney problems, negative neurological effects, and negative cardiovascular effects occur. In the environment, lead in the air is absorbed by the soil, which leads to decreased growth rate in plants and animals, damages to animal's neurological systems, and changes in biodiversity.
Carbon Dioxide
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Carbon dioxide is another pollutant released by car exhaust. While carbon dioxide exists naturally in the environment, cars have produced more of the gas then the air can handle creating an imbalance in the environment. Carbon dioxide traps heat inside the lower levels of the earth's atmosphere and increases global warming.
Benzene
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Benzene comes from several sources such as refining petroleum and cigarette smoke. Benzene is a common cleaning solvent in large industrial plants. Benzene is also found in gasoline. When gasoline spills benzene releases in to the environment. There are several negative effects of benzene on our health and our environment. For example, benzene can impair human blood cells from forming and maturing.
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References
- Photo Credit yellow car, a honda japanese sport car model image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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what about other metals that are found along roadside soils like See you Cd Ni etc.
