Car Pollution - It’s In The Air

Many cars and other forms of transportation require the use of fossil fuels. When burned, these fossil fuels release emissions into the air that are filled with carbon dioxide and other possible toxic particles. An excess of these gases has been recognized as a major contributor to air pollution. Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particles, or biological materials into the atmosphere causing harm to humans and other living organisms or damages the environment. Cities are filled with fossil fuel burning transportation and the effects are damaging those who are driving and those who are simply passing by.

Emissions Effects

It is true that emissions are a cause of ozone depletion and global warming. These have ramifications that are endless; from changing weather patterns, melting ice caps, to air quality. But what does all this mean? How does driving a car affect our everyday living? What are the effects of car pollution? Here is a sampling of the ways:

• Health – Gases like carbon monoxide, lead, benzene, formaldehyde, and others are entered into the body through the blood stream. These cause heart disease, breathing disorders, possible cancers, and contribute to general illness and allergies. Since the amount of cars on the road is rising it is safe to say the amount of traffic has too, this brings more accidents and many of them fatal.
• Economy – Some may argue that cars help the economy through production of jobs and fuel refineries, however with that comes more cars on the road and more emissions into the air from car pollution. The demand for fossil fuels has been on the rise and keeps going up and production can hardly keep up. Since demand has not kept up with the supply then the cost of fuel goes up which is never a good thing for the common man, only for the oil moguls.
• Pollution – Air pollution is only one form that is fueled by cars. There has been an increase of noise pollution due to the amount of cars on the road. Noise pollution causes hearing loss and a vast amount of stress disorders. Sight pollution is not a word someone made up but a reality and cars are a leading factor. Due to the amount of car demands and traveling done by our busy world, bigger roads were needed to support the traffic. Precious land was used to create these asphalt monsters that transport automobiles faster and supposedly more efficiently.

Creative Car Pollution Solutions

There are many things that we all can do to help reduce the amount of pollution our cars are making. Some may include simple changes in the way we live while a few others may include governmental action. A few examples are:

• Psychology – The thought process of why we should drive a car needs to change. Driving a car should be a privilege not a right.
• Reduce – The amount of vehicles on the road needs to be reduced and the amount we drive them should too. Perhaps tax credits for lower mileage…
• Production – Car manufacturers have gotten better at creating more efficient technology, but there is still work to be done. Making the newer technology readily available and more cost efficient would help in this matter.

There are a lot of ideas that could be put into place to help with car pollution. We are all responsible for the world we live in. If every one of us reduced the amount we used our own vehicles then we have made a good start. It is time we got creative and took this matter into our own hands and demanded that the government gets serious too.

Pollution has become a sign of the times, with the pollution control board of the EPA going clear back online to 1994. Not a simple thing to research any information unless you have a focused destination, the EPA offers over 30 specific pollutants and hundreds of departments for each one—plus the state involved, 13 different issuing offices, and over 16 subject matters—all within one pollution control board. Preventing pollution is considered as “reducing or eliminating waste at the source”, a counter-effect to their online statement regarding pollution–”The United States of America annually produces millions of tons of pollution and spends tens of billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution.” This requires several steps set forth by the EPA pollution control board as a key policy in national environmental protection activities as follows:

• Modifying production processes
• Promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances
• Implementing conservation techniques
• Re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream

The laws of the United States are passed through Congress which govern our country, with the EPA’s pollution control board and other governmental agencies creating and enforce certain regulations to follow those laws. By periodically assessing new information as it comes in, the EPA may find that a regulation is not needed or news need to be developed. Issues are abandoned and alternative courses of action may be required, such as using their 30 voluntary partnership programs that improve environmental management for specific aspects. Other areas are economic incentives and technical assistance.

The EPA motto seems to be doing “whatever it takes” as they go beyond the traditional governmental “command and control” regulations, creating unique approaches to solving problems within their pollution control board by utilizing those with degrees in business, statistics, sociology, education, and public policy. The EPA uses public involvement for many of its pollution issues, set up by the National Center for Environmental Innovation, an area which utilizes their outreach department, defined by its interaction purpose and the level of involvement with those involved. Three other public areas used by this are information exchange, recommendation, and agreement—all governed by the pollution control board specializing in that particular pollutant area.

We’ve all heard of compost when discussing working on our gardens or helping the environment, but seldom fully understand the entire process of composting. Composting is a form of recycling as it recycles our yard (manures, leaves, grass, etc.) and organic household waste into a type of humus-like soil. In addition to yard waste, fruits and vegetables are also used for compost. Composting not only gives us the best fertilizer for our lawns and gardens but also helps to reduce or eliminate the “green” waste that will otherwise end up in our landfills.

Composting speeds up the normal decomposition process because of the increases temperatures that exist with it. The exothermic process causes an elevated heat, which in turn lessens the time it takes the microorganisms to generate. This increases the speed it takes for the nutrients and energy to exchange. If the conditions and environment are right, composting will take place on its own, without any man made help. However, it is necessary to make the circumstances and conditions optimal so the organic waste can break down properly.

Although composting is something that many Americans are doing on their own today for purposes of productive gardening and helping the environment, different forms of composting may take place on their own. This type of composting also referred to as decomposition, takes place through nature even though the conditions that most composters require are not there. This type of composting is slow, however. For instance, items of nature like leaves, wood or bark will break down into humus but it may take from 3 to 7 years.

Many people today are doing their own composting as a means of keeping the environment “green” as well as producing their own fertilization and compost for their flower beds and gardens. Rather than throwing out food waste, they keep it in a covered container throughout the winter months, watching it decompose. In the springtime, it is dumped in the garden and tilled in with the current dirt. This type of fertilization is not only more economical but also excellent for garden crops. More and more individuals are choosing to do their own composting every year.

By the ability of nitrogen oxides to travel long distances, they are the cause of a wide variety of environmental and health concerns far from the sources of their emissions. The control of nitrogen oxides emissions is needed. When nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and sunlight are combined, the product is smog and ozone depletion. On high smog days, you will have difficulty seeing objects far away as well as having trouble breathing. In addition, the control of nitrogen oxides emissions is needed because they are a contributing factor to the formation of particulate matter in the atmosphere through chemical reaction with atmospheric gasses.

Nitrogen oxides also known as NOx is a generalized term for a family of colorless and odorless gasses, all containing various levels of, which are highly reactive. Nitrogen dioxide, another common chemical known for pollution, along with many air particles combine into a layer of brownish red tones. This filmy layer often can be seen over many large cities.

Particulate Matter also known as PM are tiny particles or liquid droplets that become suspended in the air containing a wide range of chemicals. Larger particles become visible as smoke or dust and settle from their suspension in the air rapidly. The most harmful to human health are the smallest particles, which can be suspended for long periods. These smallest particles can penetrate deep into lungs. Particles directly emitted into the air come from a variety of sources including buses, trucks and cars. In addition to vehicle pollution, other sources may include construction sites, factories unpaved roads and different wood burning items.

Particulate Matter 2.5 known as PM2.5 but often referred to as “PM fine” are particles that have a diameter less than 2.5 microns and make up the majority of particulate matter from mobile sources. PM fine particles are not usually visible with your eyes because they are so small are significant contributors to haze in the atmosphere. Because they can penetrate deeper into the lungs than larger particles, the smaller the particles the more harmful to humans.

Particulate filters are an anti-pollution filter device designed to trap particles in the exhaust from diesel engines before they enter the atmosphere.

Education is extremely critical to the success of any new endeavor or project in an organization or community, especially the one which is related to an uphill task associated with the development of the particular region in question. Environmental education is one such aspect which has gained immense popularity in the last few years owing to the rapid industrial progress and advancement which has brought along a series of potential fallouts and negative impacts.

Subjects such as environmental education are successfully instructed through a series of teaching initiatives undertaken through practical study, research and training, undertaken by the faculty members as well as experts on the subject.

The Avenues

Towards this very objective, there are a vast number of choices available of enrolling in an environmental and education training center, present all over the world and offering state-of-the-art training and facilities for the purpose of ensuring adequate environmental education.

Such workshops and training centers have ongoing teaching modules that are aimed at imparting the essential environmental education to the faculty members or teachers in various institutions. Apart from the regular teaching modules at any particular environmental and education training center, there is also an option of enrolling for special events that focus particularly on a specific topic associated with environment education.

A few examples of such topics include disease-causing contaminating, diagnostic tools of pathology, disease mitigation and management, aquatic habitat restoration and many more of the like. Other examples of initiatives taken by the authorities at such an environmental and education training center include understanding the environment through conceptual diagrams and carried forward assessments through producing ecosystem health report cards in order to build community knowledge.

To add to their credibility and validity of training programmes, every particular environmental and education training center of repute will have well-established links with a vast range of industries and industry associations, both at the national as well as international level. Such clients could hail from a vast range of industries such as mining, waster, petroleum, power industries and metal industries.

An environmental and education training center is also likely to work in close coordination with both, the state and federal environmental agencies, who are also involved in projects towards the objective of environmental protection and spread of awareness and training for the purpose.

The primary objective of each of such an environmental and education training center remains to ensure maximum environmental safety and minimum damage to the natural resources. This is essentially achieved by imparting adequate education, training and providing practical training to the individuals involved in the relevant projects.

When the ozone is at ground level, it is considered an air pollutant and can be very harmful to our health. Ground level ozone affects our air quality when the oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds react to sunlight. This ozone comes from vehicles like trucks, cars, buses, etc., lawn and garden equipment, construction equipment, large factories and industries, paints and cleaners.

Air quality is tested and determine by the air quality index, which a standardized indicator of what the quality of the air is in one specific location. It measures the ozone at ground level as well as amount of particles in the air, which may include nitrogen dioxide or sulfur dioxide. The pollen count, which will also affect the air quality, is not listed in the air quality index. Certain times of the day will affect the ozone, which, in turn, affects our air quality. In urban environments, the ozone is likely to reach an unhealthy level on a hot sunny day because of the urban smog.

Rural areas can also be affected by unhealthy ozone layers because it can travel a long ways via the wind. There are some sites that give air quality reports on a daily basis so the public knows how polluted or clean the air may be that day. This is specifically important for those that may have allergies and need to know the outdoor air quality conditions before planning outdoor activities.

The ozone can cause health problems by making it harder to breathe, causing pain when breathing as well as shortness of breathing, damaging the lung lining, increases or causes coughing and aggravates lung diseases. Although the ozone affects all of us, some people are more susceptible to problems caused from poor air quality due to the ozone. These may include individuals with lung disease like emphysema, asthma or bronchitis as well as elderly. Even healthy people may occasionally be affected by the harmful effects of the ozone.

Basically the 2001 Jeep Cherokee emissions control leak detection pump works as part of the system that self-monitors, does routine diagnostic tests as well as adjusts to correct problems. In addition the LDP also produced data that is relayed to the on-board diagnostic system, OBD-ll that stores this information for review by a technician when the vehicle is brought in for service. The OBD-ll generates a list of codes that allows the mechanic (more correctly the technician) to be able to see how the various emission system parts, including the LDP, are working at any given time.

The 2001 Jeep Cherokee emissions control leak detection pump is the first step in the diagnostic test that the vehicle will periodically run on itself. The reason that the LDP is the first test is because it is required to pump or pressurize and seal the rest of the system to allow the rest of the diagnostic test. If the LDP was malfunctioning, the rest of the emissions system would read as malfunctioning, invalidating all the test results. The system first tests the LDP for leaks, electrical malfunction or damage. Once the 2001 Jeep Cherokee emissions control leak detection pump passes this test, the next step is for the system to electronically signal to the pump to seal off the vent valve and pressurize the rest of the emissions control system. If the vent does not seal, an error code is generate and the rest of the test is stopped. Provided the vent seals correct, the system is closed and pressurized and the test continues.

There are several different parts in the LDP including the solenoid, upper and lower pump, vent values, check valves and an outlet check valve. The electrical components are also included in the pump and must be working correctly for the pump to function and operate. Thankfully the leak detection system is so sophisticated it can identify tiny malfunctions in the LDP and signal problems before there are serious issues within the system.

There are several abbreviations used on the vehicle emissions control information sticker and they include:

• BPA – by pass air
• CONV – conventional system
• EGR – exhaust gas recirculation
• EGR BPT – exhaust gas recirculation back pressure transducer
• EVAP – evaporative emission
• EVAP CSP – evaporative emissions canister storage/purging
• IAC – idle air control
• IAC FIC – idle air control fast idle control
• PCV – positive crankcase ventilation
• TI – transistorized ignition
• WU-TWC – warm-up three way catalytic converter
• UB – underbody
• TWC – three way catalytic converter
• VCC – vacuum cut control solenoid

As a vehicle owner you won’t need to know or remember these terms, however the vehicle emissions control information sticker and the schematic drawing that shows these different areas of the engine are essential for your repair professional.

The easiest way for a driver to know when the vehicle has noted a problem with in the vehicle emissions control system is that the malfunction light will come on in the dash. Depending on the model and type of vehicle that you drive the light will be different. Typically there is some type of “check engine” message that is associated with the particular in-dash system, but in addition the vehicle will also store a record of what was happening in the engine within the computer memory. When you take your vehicle to the repair shop their diagnostic computer interacts with your vehicle computer chip, allowing the computer to literally help diagnosis the malfunction in your vehicle. In order to properly set and repair the vehicle, the vehicle emissions control information that is specific to your vehicle and engine will be used.

The computer system will also clear itself after so many drive cycles are completed without the same fault or detection occurring. Depending on the make and model of your vehicle the number of drive cycles required to clear the system will vary, but it is typically around three. This means that if the reading was an abnormality that doesn’t repeat, the car will actually reset it own computer chip and will cease to continue to alert the driver through the indicator light.

This is a problem for urban Europe for many reasons, but perhaps most notably because the statues and buildings that have stood for thousands of years are now, suddenly, disintegrating due to the very crush of people who want to see them. Calcium containing stones such as marble, granite and limestone are particularly vulnerable, now noted in many historical districts as causing statues and buildings to quite literally flake away as bits of gypsum.
- 1 -

Reasons for Pollution

Air pollutants stem from many sources and are made up of many types of molecules. A few contributing components include:

• Carbon Dioxide – Burning fossil fuels, such as gasoline
• Nitrogen Dioxide – Burning biomasses and fossil fuels
• Nitrous Oxide – From nitrogen based fertilizers
• Sulfur Dioxide – Combustion of sulfur-based fuels, such as oil
• Chlorofluorocarbons – Or Freon come from refrigerants, aerosol cans, and the burning of plastics
• Smog – A combination of gases that are released with the burning of fuels from industries, transportation devices, and fires

Indoors And Out

There is no escaping the effects air pollution and they are all negative. It is true that those who live in and around cities are increasingly exposed, due to the amount of industry, autos on the roadways, and population. However, those who live on farms are subjected to exhaust from farm equipment, fertilizers, and animal waste that contain chemicals. Some may think that they are safe if they are in the confines of their own home but that is not true. There are air pollutants inside that are just as dangerous. Poor ventilation of heating and cooling systems, household chemicals, fibers, and more contribute to air pollutants.

What Happens As The Result

The damage done by air pollution touches many organisms and many are not directly exposed. The effects of air pollution can travel in the atmosphere for days, therefore spreading across the miles from its original source. The results can vary, but some examples include:

• Plant life – Plants clean the air of carbon dioxide, but with deforestation comes fewer plants to do so. Plants will also absorb the toxic levels of carbon dioxide, which will lessen their protective waxy coating. This coating is vital for water and food storage, so without this then disease and pests are more likely to attack and the plant will die.
• Health – The lungs need oxygen to survive and that oxygen is carried through the blood stream to the heart and then pumped to the other organs throughout the body. Many illness are linked to air pollution, such as: common cold, croup, asthma, bronchitis, COPD, lung cancer, heart failure, coronary disease, and much more.

The effects of air pollution are not a new problem, but it seems to get worse and not better. The governments have gotten better regulating and fining the big industries, but it is hard to regulate air pollution on the personal level. It is our responsibility to regulate and decrease our use of air pollutants or else we will not live in our world as we have grown accustomed to.