Urban air pollution and the automobile - Research Paper Example

xxxx English   Topic: Urban Air Pollution and the Automobile 09 April, I-Introduction The atmosphere of the earth is a thin cover composed of different gases and water vapors and is a great blessing for mankind as it surrounds the whole earth and sustains the human life on this planet. The vertical thickness and density of the atmosphere depends upon different ecosystems. The atmosphere along with its different ecosystems plays a significant role to maintain the overall planet’s temperature and in provision of coal, oil, food crops, and drinking water to human society. Man has exploited endlessly the available resources and has always assumed that they are inexhaustible. Today human has realized that he has been constantly disturbing the ecological balance and fast finishing the life-supporting systems on the earth. Urban pollution is caused by many factors like industrial and thermal power plants, but more importantly by vehicular emissions. As a result, the outdoor air quality in urban areas has deteriorated significantly. Statistics reveals that in last 30 to 40 years, the concentrations of suspended particulate matter in huge cities like Mexico, New York, Tokyo, Mumbai, Karachi, Seoul, Beijing, Bangkok, and New Delhi etc were four to five times higher than levels recommended by world health organization (Brown, 1999). A substantial increase in the number of vehicles on urban roads continues to drive up levels of urban air pollution. Common gases emitted by vehicles include carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and ozone. These all gases are dangerous to human health beyond certain levels of concentration. Poly-aromatic hydrocarbons released by diesel-powered vehicles are known carcinogens, while smoke from diesel engines has aggravated already elevated levels of airborne soot. Nitrous oxides are emerging air pollutants with the highest concentrations recorded in metropolitans. Thesis Statement. People have right to use car, but there are many solution to save our environment; such as, public transportation and government should make rules to use car. The following paragraphs will deal this statement by describing the beneficiary management and role of public transportation, fuel used by different types of cars, and the corrective preventive measures to control the urban pollution produced by automobiles. II. Public Transportation As compared to 100 years ago, no doubt today human being is enjoying much better mode of travelling throughout the world like presently cars, buses, trams, trains, and subways are facilitating millions of human being daily. According to World Resource Institute (2008), all these transportations contribute to almost 25% of the overall global energy consumption while cars are responsible for about 80%. Since automobiles are major cause of emission of greenhouse gases in atmosphere (Fenger et al, 1999), therefore in respect of urban pollution, the use of public transport is very beneficial because per head it produces less greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere than cars. Secondly, the use of public transportation is cost effective both at individual and national level. Although the use of public transportation is less glamorous, however, it keeps the individual free of searching the parking, fuel, and maintenance of personal vehicle. An integrated and well-planned network of public transportation have shown much better results in reduction of greenhouses gases and other pollutant material into air. For example in United States, there were almost 1.6 cars for every two Americans in 2005 while at the same time 160 Americans were entertained by a single trolleybus. By the advent of trams in Europe, great results have been observed. Trams and trains carry millions of people inside the city on regular basis and thus prevent the society from further automobile pollution which could have been occurred by the use of their passengers. III. Fuel of Vehicles Numbers of fuel options are available now days for the owners to use in their vehicles. However, still gasoline and diesel are the most widely used fuel throughout the world. These are generally attained by simply fractional distillation involving elementary oil as well as liquefaction involving fossil fuel. Gasoline That upright operated gasoline is without a doubt gathered as a result of distillation in sleazy oil. It has various unsaturated and unattractive upright chain hydrocarbons and natural compounds of sulphur. The boiling range of gasoline fuel is between 40?C to 120?C. The unsaturated hydrocarbons are oxidized plus polymerized in that way resulting in gum along with sludge configuration. Alternatively, sulphur ingredients cause rust inside the combustion engine and concurrently they also detrimentally have an effect on tetraethyl lead, which can be typically included with gasoline to produce much better ignition results. A report of World Resource Institute (1998) elaborates: “One of the oldest metals used by humans, lead is a cumulative neurotoxin that impairs brain development among children and has been connected to elevated blood pressure and resulting hypertension, heart attacks, and premature death in adults. Emissions from vehicles are the largest source of lead exposure in many urban areas” (WRI 266-267). In addition to the refining problems related to gasoline, the principle concern with use of petrol is for the natural environment which in depth relates to the local climate as well. In the atmosphere, the un-burnt petrol along with desertion through the aquarium responds to generate photochemical smog. Supplement involving ethanol raises the volatility involving gasoline, perhaps failing the challenge. United States is one of the leading country producing greenhouse gases in atmosphere through its automobile industry. In USA, the burning of one gallon of petrol generates approximately 8.8 kg of, one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases (Engber, 2006). The main dangers associated with this kind of leakages appear not really through automobiles, but through fuel shipping truck mishaps as well as leakages through storage space tanks. Due to this danger, the majority of such tanks are in possession of considerable steps to identify and stop the leakages. The sacrificial anode is a good example of it. Diesel A diesel petrol or some times called natural gas petrol is received through 250?C to 320?C while in the fractional distillation with a bit crude oil. The subject fuel frequently features 85% Carbon and 12% Hydrogen. It has the calorific cost approximately 11, 000 kcal/kg. By 2008, the annual consumption of diesel fuel was more almost 200 billion liters in United States. The actual appropriateness of the diesel-powered energy is dependent upon it's cetane worth. Diesel has lengthier hydrocarbons and also has reduced ideals associated with lung burning powder, sediment, pure water as well as sulphalt material. Actually the primary features of the diesel its ability to very easily fire up beneath data compression heat. As much as possible the great deal of diesel hydrocarbon substances inside a vehicle ought to be the actual straight-chain types, having a minimal admixture associated with fragrant as well as side-chain hydrocarbon substances. As compared to gasoline, the particular dynamics of efficiency and reduced flammability of diesel fuel in different vehicles is a couple of significant reasons regarding its wide and increasing use especially in armed services (Tillotson, 1981). Substantial amount of sulphur in diesel fuel engine are quite risky to the natural environment, given that they reduce the application of catalytic diesel fuel particulate filtration to manipulate the emissions of greenhouse gases produced by diesel engine vehicles. Moreover, the use of modern nitrogen oxide and absorbers is equally harmful to the atmosphere which is actually used to relieve emissions. Additionally, sulfur inside the diesel will be oxidized in the course of combustion, creating sulfur dioxide and also sulfur trioxide. With the existence of water, this sulphur swiftly changes into sulphuric acid which later on deals with the generation of acidic rainfall. Use of Cars Almost throughout the world, the use of cars inside the urban areas has been increased significantly especially during past two decades. The following table indicates the increasing use of cars in United States, Canada, and Netherland. Mode of Trip USA Canada Netherlands Car 89% 76% 45% Public Transit 2% 10% 7% Walking 6% 10% 18% Bicycle Read More