Kiera Jefferson
Cars are a major contributor to air pollution. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact percentage of air pollution that comes from cars, vehicles in the US produce about one-third of all air pollution in the country. Cars emit pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. The production and distribution of gasoline also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. The manufacturing of a petrol or diesel car releases around 5.6 tonnes of CO2 on average, while the construction of an electric car produces about 8.8 tonnes of CO2, largely due to the construction of the battery.
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What You'll Learn
Electric car production is more harmful than petrol/diesel
Electric cars are often marketed as an important technology to reduce CO2 emissions. However, the production of electric vehicles (EVs) can be more harmful to the environment than that of petrol or diesel cars.
Building the average electric car produces 8.8 tonnes of CO2, compared to 5.6 tonnes for a petrol or diesel car. This is largely due to the construction of the battery, which can account for 43% of an EV's CO2 output during production. The recycling of EV batteries is also more complex, as they contain hazardous materials that are harmful to the environment. In addition, the electricity used to charge EVs may create carbon pollution, depending on how local power is generated, such as through coal or natural gas.
Some studies have shown that the production of a typical EV can create more carbon pollution than a gasoline car, due to the additional energy required to manufacture its battery. However, over the lifetime of the vehicle, EVs are typically responsible for lower levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) than an average new gasoline car. This is because EVs have zero tailpipe emissions and are more energy efficient, converting 87-91% of battery energy into movement, compared to 16-25% for gasoline vehicles.
While EVs emit less over their lifetime, the production emissions of fossil fuel cars are lower. This means that an EV may take up to four years to "pay back its carbon debt" and become more environmentally friendly than a petrol or diesel car. However, this timeframe can be reduced to three years if the EV is charged using a cleaner energy mix, such as in the UK or California.
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Recycling cars
Cars are a major contributor to air pollution. When cars burn gasoline, they emit pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. The production and distribution of gasoline also create greenhouse gases. However, recycling cars can help reduce pollution and save energy.
Recycling steel from cars saves enough energy to power about 18 million households annually and prevents 85 million barrels of oil from being used in manufacturing. Car recycling also keeps 11 million tons of steel and 800,000 non-ferrous metals out of landfills. Additionally, 99% of old car batteries are recycled, making them the most commonly recycled item in the US. Car battery recycling is important as batteries contain hazardous materials such as plastics, acid, and lead that need to be properly disposed of or recycled.
Consumers can financially benefit from recycling certain car parts such as tires and catalytic converters. Car recycling yards, also known as wreck yards or salvage yards, offer cash for scrap metal and other recyclable materials from cars. The auto recycling industry has become the top recycling industry globally, and car material reuse is the 16th-largest industry in the United States.
While recycling cars can help reduce pollution and waste, it is important to note that electric cars are harder to recycle due to their large batteries. However, UK legislation requires that 50% of an electric vehicle battery be recycled, and efforts are being made worldwide to improve the recyclability of electric vehicles.
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Gasoline fumes escape during refuelling
The transportation sector is a major contributor to air pollution. Driving gasoline vehicles results in tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, the production and distribution of gasoline also create GHGs, and these emissions are often overlooked. The extraction of oil, its transportation to refineries, the refining process, and the subsequent delivery of gasoline to service stations all produce additional GHGs.
One aspect of gasoline distribution that results in emissions is the refueling of vehicles. Gasoline fumes can escape into the air when we pump gasoline into our fuel tanks. Gasoline is a mixture of many chemicals, including volatile aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, which are harmful to human health. These chemicals are released as vapours during refueling when the rising liquid gasoline level in the tank pushes vapours out into the atmosphere.
The dangers of gasoline vapours are well known, and safety measures have been implemented to prevent their escape and ignition. Gas stations display signs instructing customers not to smoke or use cell phones, and to turn off their engines during refueling. These precautions are necessary because gasoline vapours are highly flammable and can ignite if exposed to a spark or flame.
To address the environmental impact of gasoline vapour escape, onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) systems have been introduced. ORVRs are designed to capture and recirculate gasoline vapours back into the engine as fuel, reducing their escape into the atmosphere. Since 1998, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated that most newly manufactured vehicles be equipped with ORVR systems. Despite this, a pilot study in Northern Manhattan, NYC, found that even within a fleet of vehicles equipped with ORVRs, large amounts of fuel vapour emissions were still being released during refueling. This raises concerns about the long-term effectiveness of ORVR systems and their impact on individuals' lifetime exposure to gasoline vapours.
In conclusion, while gasoline fumes escape during refueling, contributing to air pollution, the implementation of ORVR systems has been a significant step towards mitigating this issue. However, ongoing research and improvements are necessary to ensure the continued effectiveness of these systems in reducing gasoline vapour emissions.
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Car emissions cause cancer, asthma, heart disease
While it is challenging to pinpoint the exact percentage of air pollution that comes from car manufacturing, vehicles are undoubtedly major contributors to air pollution. The production of a petrol or diesel car releases around 5.6 tonnes of CO2 on average, with around three-quarters of this emitted during the production of the steel body. In comparison, the average electric car results in 8.8 tonnes of CO2 emissions during manufacturing, primarily due to the construction of its battery. However, it is important to note that electric vehicles produce less harmful emissions over their entire lifespan.
Car emissions have been linked to serious health issues, including cancer, asthma, and heart disease. When cars burn gasoline, they release pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide. These emissions can have detrimental effects on both the environment and human health.
Particulate matter, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets, contributes to atmospheric haze and can damage the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Carbon monoxide, produced when fuel is burned, affects critical organs such as the heart and brain. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, motor vehicle exhaust can account for up to 95% of carbon monoxide emissions in cities. Nitrogen dioxide, formed when nitrogen and oxygen react during fuel burning, can also have adverse effects on the respiratory system.
The health impacts of car emissions are evident in studies examining the relationship between motor vehicle emissions and respiratory health. Hospital admission data from Southeast Toronto, covering a period from 1990 to 1992, showed a significant association between exposure to particulate matter and hospital admissions for respiratory diagnoses, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Additionally, air pollution from car emissions can worsen existing respiratory conditions. For individuals with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, exposure to air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause wheezing and coughing, and make breathing more difficult.
To mitigate the environmental and health impacts of car emissions, it is essential to reduce pollutants and transition to more sustainable transportation options. While electric vehicles may have a higher environmental impact during manufacturing, they produce significantly fewer harmful emissions over their lifetime, contributing to a reduction in overall pollution levels.
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Tyre wear produces microplastics
Cars are a major contributor to air pollution. While the exact percentage of air pollution that comes from cars is difficult to pinpoint, the transportation sector is responsible for over 55% of NOx total emissions inventory in the US. Cars emit pollutants when they burn gasoline, and even when we pump gasoline into our fuel tanks, fumes escape into the air.
Electric cars are also not entirely environmentally friendly, as emissions are created during the production and distribution of the electricity used to fuel them. Furthermore, electric cars are harder to recycle due to their large batteries.
However, this answer will focus on tyre wear as a source of microplastics.
Tyres are made from rubber and around 60% plastic (styrene butadiene). When a car is driven, the friction, pressure, and heat cause the tyres to wear down and produce plastic dust. This process is known as abrasion and is a significant source of microplastics in the environment. The global production of thermoplastics, including polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), has increased rapidly since the 1950s, reaching 322 million tonnes per year in 2015.
The abrasion of tyres while driving is estimated to produce an average of 63,000 tonnes per year of plastic dust in the UK alone. This dust contributes to poor air quality, which has been linked to premature deaths. If the dust is washed into drains, rivers, and oceans, it is likely to be consumed by filter feeders such as mussels, entering the human food chain.
The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants predicts that tyre wear particles could make up 28% of the microplastics in the ocean. The relative contribution of tyre wear to total global plastic emissions in the ocean is estimated to be 5-10%. In the air, 3-7% of particulate matter (PM2.5) is estimated to consist of tyre wear particles, indicating a potential impact on air pollution and human health.
While there have been efforts to reduce microplastics in other areas, such as replacing plastic microbeads in cosmetics with natural alternatives, there is currently no alternative for tyres. Increasing awareness, closing knowledge gaps, and seeking creative solutions through a global effort from stakeholders are necessary to address this issue effectively.
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Frequently asked questions
Cars are a major contributor to air pollution, with vehicles producing about one-third of all U.S. air pollution. The transportation sector is responsible for over 55% of NOx emissions in the U.S. and cars emit pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and hydrocarbons.
The production of a car, especially the construction of its steel body, can release around 5.6 tonnes of CO2. Electric car production is even more harmful, with an average of 8.8 tonnes of CO2 released, largely due to battery construction.
While cars are a significant source of pollution, other human activities such as electricity production and heating buildings with fuel also contribute. The building of roads to support cars and the resulting urban sprawl further add to emissions.
Car pollution comes from the combustion of fuel and the evaporation of fuel itself. The act of driving also produces tyre and road wear particles, which end up in the atmosphere. At the end of a car's life, plastics, toxic battery acids, and other products can remain in the environment.
To reduce car pollution, individuals can opt for more fuel-efficient vehicles, drive smoothly, remove unnecessary items from the car, and only use roof racks when necessary. Recycling car parts can also help, although electric car batteries can be challenging to recycle due to hazardous materials.
