Bronte Wells
Cars are a major contributor to air pollution in towns and cities, as well as to global greenhouse gas emissions. The burning of gasoline and diesel in cars releases carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, methane, and particulate matter into the atmosphere, causing a range of environmental and health issues. The production and distribution of gasoline also contribute to emissions, and the higher the fuel consumption, the higher the carbon dioxide emissions. Electric vehicles have been introduced as a cleaner alternative, but they too produce some emissions during the creation and distribution of the electricity used to power them.
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What You'll Learn
Carbon dioxide emissions
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the principal greenhouse gas and is, therefore, often referred to as a greenhouse gas emission. It is not harmful in itself and is, in fact, vital for life on Earth. Plants rely on it to grow, and animals, including humans, depend on plants. However, burning gasoline and other fossil fuels unleashes far more carbon dioxide than the planet can handle. The Earth's land and oceans normally act as giant sponges, absorbing much of the CO2 in the atmosphere. But the scale of emissions has overwhelmed these natural systems. This extra carbon dioxide forms a heat-trapping layer around the planet, acting like a heavy, insulating blanket that prevents heat from escaping into space.
A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. This number can vary based on a vehicle's fuel, fuel economy, and the number of miles driven per year. Every gallon of gasoline burned creates about 8,887 grams of CO2. In addition to carbon dioxide, automobiles using gasoline produce methane and nitrous oxide from the tailpipe, and all vehicles can emit hydrofluorocarbon from leaking air conditioners. For gasoline vehicles, the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons are small in comparison to CO2; however, the impact of these emissions is important because they have a higher global warming potential than CO2.
Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon dioxide emissions. Three-quarters of this is from road transport, of which cars and buses contribute 45.1%. The EU aims to achieve a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2050, compared with 1990 levels. This is part of its efforts to achieve climate neutrality under the European Green Deal roadmap. The EU is introducing new CO2 emission targets, which aim to cut harmful emissions from new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The new legislation sets the path towards zero CO2 emissions for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by 2035. Intermediate emission reduction targets for 2030 are set at 55% for cars and 50% for vans.
Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions; however, emissions are created during the production and distribution of the electricity used to fuel the vehicle. Taking into account the average energy mix in Europe, electric cars are already proving to be cleaner than vehicles running on petrol. As the share of electricity from renewable sources is set to increase in the future, electric cars should become even less harmful to the environment.
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Air pollution
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas produced by cars, and its presence in the atmosphere traps heat, leading to the greenhouse effect and climate change. While CO2 is essential for life on Earth, burning gasoline releases excessive amounts, contributing to rising global temperatures and severe weather events. Each gallon of burned gasoline emits approximately 8,887 grams (20 pounds) of carbon dioxide, and the average passenger vehicle emits about 400 grams of CO2 per mile.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is another harmful pollutant emitted by cars. It is produced when fuel is burned and can have detrimental effects on vital organs such as the heart and brain. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that vehicles are responsible for nearly 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the United States.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is formed from emissions from cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Breathing air with high levels of NO2 can impact the respiratory system and contribute to smog and respiratory issues. Additionally, nitrogen dioxide, along with hydrocarbons, contributes to the formation of ozone in the atmosphere. While ozone protects us from ultraviolet rays in the upper atmosphere, its presence at lower levels can cause respiratory problems and contribute to smog.
Particulate matter, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets, is released into the air from car exhausts and can damage the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This type of pollution is particularly associated with diesel engines, which emit black soot and metal particles. Modern cars are often equipped with diesel particulate filters to reduce these harmful emissions.
Other pollutants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and methane. These emissions contribute to global warming, air pollution, and can have various adverse effects on human health, including allergies, skin irritation, heart disease, respiratory issues, and cancer.
It is worth noting that electric vehicles (EVs) have gained popularity as a cleaner alternative to gasoline-powered cars. While EVs do not have tailpipe emissions, they still produce some emissions during the production and distribution of electricity. Additionally, tyre and brake wear in all vehicles, including electric ones, contribute to particulate matter pollution.
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Gasoline extraction and refinement
The production and distribution of gasoline used to power vehicles create greenhouse gas emissions. This includes extracting oil from the ground, transporting it to a refinery, refining the oil into gasoline, and delivering the gasoline to service stations.
The process of refining crude oil into gasoline involves several steps. Firstly, the density (API gravity) and sulfur content of the crude oil determine how refineries process it. Lighter crude oils with higher API gravity generally contain more light hydrocarbons and can produce high-value products such as gasoline through simple distillation. In contrast, heavier crude oils with lower API gravity require additional processing to yield high-value products.
One crucial step in refining crude oil is distillation. During distillation, the lightest fractions, including gasoline and liquefied refinery gases, vaporize and rise to the top of the distillation tower, where they condense back into liquids. Medium-weight liquids, such as kerosene, remain in the middle, while heavier liquids, called gas oils, separate lower down. The heaviest fractions settle at the bottom. After distillation, heavy, lower-value fractions can be further processed into lighter, higher-value products like gasoline through a method called "cracking."
Cracking is a widely used process that involves breaking up long hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful molecules using heat, pressure, and catalysts. The most common type of cracking is "cat cracking," which utilizes catalysts to accelerate the process. Another process, alkylation, combines the gaseous byproducts of cracking to create gasoline components. Reforming, which rearranges naphtha hydrocarbons, is another crucial process in creating gasoline molecules.
The final stage of the refining process involves blending various streams into finished petroleum products. Refineries blend different compounds to create gasoline that meets the required specifications for motor vehicle performance. This includes combining gasoline blending components with fuel ethanol and, in some cases, adding biofuels to create blends of biomass-based diesel, jet fuel, or heating oil.
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Electric vehicle emissions
Electric vehicles (EVs) have no tailpipe emissions. However, emissions are created during the production and distribution of the electricity used to power the vehicle. The amount of carbon pollution created depends on the energy source used to generate the electricity. For example, coal and natural gas emit carbon pollution, whereas renewable resources like wind or solar do not.
In geographic areas that use relatively low-polluting energy sources for electricity generation, all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) typically have a significant life cycle emissions advantage over similar conventional vehicles running on gasoline or diesel. In areas with higher-emissions electricity, all-electric vehicles and PHEVs may not demonstrate as strong a life cycle emissions benefit.
While it is true that manufacturing an EV can create more carbon pollution than manufacturing a gasoline car due to the additional energy required to manufacture an EV battery, over the lifetime of the vehicle, total greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing, charging, and driving an EV are typically lower than the total GHGs associated with a gasoline car. This is because EVs have zero tailpipe emissions and are responsible for fewer GHGs during operation.
Estimates suggest that life-cycle emissions of battery electric cars are nearly four times less than gasoline cars. When using only renewable electricity, the reduction is up to 78%. Life-cycle emissions of hybrids are 20% lower than gasoline cars.
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Particulate matter
PM2.5 is of particular concern as it is small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and can even enter the bloodstream. Exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to increased illness and death, primarily from heart and lung diseases. It has also been associated with other adverse health effects such as cancers, cognitive disorders, and low birth weights. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to increased death rates from cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of lung cancer.
On-road vehicles are a significant source of fine particulate matter, especially in densely populated urban areas. The impact of this pollution is not evenly distributed, with certain racial groups, including Latino, African American, and Asian Americans, experiencing higher exposure to PM2.5 pollution from cars, trucks, and buses. This disparity is attributed to the spatial distribution of traffic emissions and the socioeconomic status of vulnerable populations.
In addition to tailpipe emissions, particulate matter can also come from other sources related to vehicles. For example, pollutants can be released from the evaporation of fuel or the off-gassing of materials inside the vehicle, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Cabin interior materials, such as the engine, gas tank, and hoses, can emit pollutants even when the car is not operating.
To mitigate exposure to particulate matter from vehicles, various measures can be implemented. These include the use of high-efficiency filters for cabin air, reducing idling, and avoiding caravanning with other vehicles. Additionally, transitioning to cleaner alternatives, such as electric vehicles, can help reduce particulate matter emissions and overall air pollution levels.
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Frequently asked questions
Car pollution refers to the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that come from cars. Air pollution is when there are foreign substances in the air that do not belong or excessive amounts of certain impurities. Greenhouse gas emissions cause the greenhouse effect, which leads to climate change.
Car pollution is caused by the burning of gasoline or diesel, which releases harmful substances into the air. The production and distribution of gasoline also create emissions, as it requires extracting oil, transporting it, refining it, and then transporting it again to service stations.
Cars emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds.
Car pollution contributes to global warming, the depletion of the ozone layer, rising sea levels, and an increase in natural disasters. It also causes smog, which can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma.
Car pollution can be reduced by using less gasoline and diesel, and switching to electric vehicles.
