Automobile info

Car-Environmental impact

Environmental impact. As cars burn petrol, they release hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides into the air and so pollute it. Air pollution endangers people's health and damages crops and livestock. Cars produce terrible pollution in many of the world's big cities. Especially severe pollution occurs in such cities as Los Angeles, Mexico City, Tokyo, and Madrid, where the streets and roads are choked with traffic.

In many countries, steps have been taken to control air pollution caused by cars as well as by other sources. Agencies that enforce these regulations set emission standards that limit the amount of pollution new cars may produce.

Car manufacturers have made great progress in reducing the emission of major pollutants by meeting the increasingly strict environmental standards. For example, since the 1960's the emission of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide by American-built cars has been reduced by 96 per cent and nitrogen oxides by 76 per cent. The reduction has been achieved largely with the installation of a catalytic converter in the exhaust system of cars. The device changes carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water vapour.