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The truth about exhaust gas: Why car emissions may be the invisible killer of your health?
Cars play an indispensable role in our daily lives. However, have you ever thought that these "moving boxes" around you may actually pose a health risk? According to the latest research, car exhaust emissions are not only the source of air pollution, but also the cause of many health problems.
Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is estimated to kill more than 5 million people each year.
Exhaust gas is the gas emitted into the atmosphere after burning various fuels (such as gasoline, diesel and natural gas). The main components of these gases are nitrogen, water vapor and carbon dioxide. While these components themselves do not cause toxic effects, they are greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change.
Even if some emissions are not toxic, they can be transformed into harmful substances under certain conditions.
The main pollutants emitted by vehicles include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. The health effects of these pollutants cannot be underestimated. Studies have shown that carbon monoxide can interfere with the transport of oxygen in the blood and can lead to poisoning in severe cases, while nitrogen oxides are associated with the occurrence of respiratory diseases.
In 2013, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study showed that car emissions caused 53,000 premature deaths in a single year.
More worryingly, as traffic volume increases, so do the concentrations of these harmful substances. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, by 2030, in addition to the roads you take every day to and from work and school, congested roads, especially intersections with traffic lights, may become the worst hit areas of pollution. In this area, the accumulation of vehicle emissions leads to the deposition of pollutants, increasing the health burden on the population.
While many cars are designed with catalytic converters to reduce emissions, these devices are extremely ineffective during a cold start. Therefore, emissions can increase significantly when the engine has not reached normal operating temperature. This is one reason why vehicle exhaust is particularly harmful in cold climates.
Traffic pollution is positively correlated with the incidence of certain cancers, and epidemiological studies have shown that this may increase the risk by 5% to 15%.
Around the world, in addition to the climate change problem caused by carbon emissions, harmful substances emitted by cars have also caused a long-term public health crisis. Take the UK as an example. Thanks to stricter emission standards, harmful emissions from cars have been controlled to a certain extent, but there are still many areas where residents cannot be immune to pollution.
For example, recent reports by some environmental groups indicate that more than 50 percent of air pollution in Southern California comes from vehicle emissions. This makes it more urgent for governments and non-governmental organizations to plan to reduce emissions.
People are facing not only immediate air quality issues, but also more potential long-term health risks.
Through the introduction of more new technologies and gradual improvement of emission standards, future transportation systems will likely develop in a direction that reduces air pollution. However, this requires a high level of public attention and support.
Are you ready to understand the potential health threats from vehicle emissions around you and drive change?
