Vehicles are considered important agents of environmental pollution. At present, they appear as indispensable elements in the functioning of modern societies and urban ecosystems, circulating millions of vehicles (cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses) that make more and more the environmental and health problems that we suffer all living beings that we live with them are increasing.
The life cycle of every vehicle is contaminant in itself, from its production to its destruction or abandonment as a residue. Therefore, we must optimize its use and reduce its impact on the environment at the same time, using different preventive measures as the main weapon to combat vehicular pollution.
Continue reading this Ecology Verde article to learn more about the vehicular pollution, what is, types, causes and consequences.
What is vehicular pollution
Vehicular pollution is the contamination produced by any transport vehicle. It occurs mainly being part of the one known as Urban pollutionthat which occurs in urban nuclei, where numerous vehicles are used daily to cover the displacement of people who live in cities and their periphery.
The Combustion engines vehicles are responsible for emission to the atmosphere of different types of gases and also of particles that pollute the environment or the environment. In this way, the different vehicles used daily in the most developed countries (with a high degree of industrialization and, in general, of economic activity) are responsible for between 30% and 90% of the gases that are pollutants produced by vehicular traffic worldwide.
However, vehicular pollution includes different polluting agents that daily affect the environment and human beings. Let’s look at more detail the different types of vehicular pollution that exist.
Types of vehicular pollution
Among the different types of vehicular pollution, we can find the one that occurs in the air by the expelled gases, which occurs on the floor and water by the oils spilled and by the accumulation of the pieces as waste, and so on.
Therefore, there are so much air pollution problems, such as soil and water. He is also responsible for noise or noise or sound pollutionas well as numerous diseases and health problems in the human being.
It is essential to raise awareness among society of the different environmental problems that cause vehicles daily, intervening negatively in the functioning of urban ecosystems. Let us analyze more detail in the following section the main causes of the different types of vehicular pollution.
Causes of vehicular pollution
The main cause of an excessive and inconceivable amount of cars pollution is that they exist too many circulating worldwide constantly. There are even places, and in these there are several cases, in which many vehicles of several places always use them only one person. Therefore, it insists on using public transport and filling private cars as much as it can (for example, sharing a car trip with someone to go to work).
Apart from this obvious problem since automobile technology advanced spectacularly during the industrial revolution, we can also talk about the pollutant agents that cause vehicular pollutionthat is, the elements that come from cars and contaminate:
CAusas of air vehicular pollution
Among the main causes of vehicle air pollution, the products of vehicular emissions that are deposited in the atmosphere in greater quantity are:
- Nitrous oxides.
- Carbon monoxide (CO).
- Carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Lead compounds.
- Small amounts of sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and amic.
All these polluting gases are produced during the internal combustion process of fossil fuels (diesel, gasoline and its impurities) that occurs in vehicle engines.
In this other post, we talk more about what are the air pollutants.
Causes of soil and water vehicular pollution
On the other hand, agents causing vehicular contamination of the soil and water are the residues of the tires on the pavements, as well as oils of the vehicles that are spilled both to the ground and the waters. They are also pollution agents the degradation of the different pieces (plastic, metallic and other materials) that constitute the vehicles and that end up deposited in the soils; In addition to the highly toxic organic solvents used for the paint and finish of the vehicles, and the air conditioning equipment (responsible for the emission of harmful greenhouse gases for the ozone layer).
Here you can consult more about the contamination of the oil of the cars.
Consequences of vehicular pollution
Vehicular pollution entails various consequences, both at the level of our health and for the rest of the planet, that is, the environment.
Consequences of contamination of health cars
This type of pollution has serious and varied consequences for the health of human beings who are exposed to their polluting agents.
Mostly, The pollution of the air we breathe is responsible for the increase in the symptoms of people who already suffer asthma and others lung diseasesalways being more vulnerable to vehicular pollution.
Specifically, due to prolonged exposure to nitrogen dioxide from the internal combustion of vehicles, there is a 25% probability within the population of suffering COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In this other article you can learn more about air pollution and health problems, and even consult an infographic with a variety of data.
Effects of contamination of cars in the environment
On the other hand, in terms of the consequences of vehicular pollution in the environment, these are summarized in the soil pollution and in the Water pollution with toxic substances from fluid spills (oils and fuels), as well as the degradation of the parts that make up the vehicles and their permanence in nature as macro and polluting microparticles.
If you want to read more articles similar to Vehicular pollution: What is, types, causes and consequenceswe recommend that you enter our pollution category.
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- O. Ravella et. AL, (2003) Issuance of vehicular pollutants of energy origin in urban centers. Idehab, Institute for Habitat Studies, National University of La Plata, Argentina.
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- M. ROMERO PLACERES ET. AL, (2006) Air pollution: its impact as a health problem. Cuban Magazine of Hygiene and Epidemiology.