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Effects of Car Pollutants on Human Health

While comfort in the form of cars and vehicles have become an integral part of modern day life, environmental pollution has become an escalating concern today. Automotive exhaust emissions have a negative effect on air quality and human health.

Researchers have revealed that pollutants emitted from gasoline cars are far more harmful than any other form of fuel. Even though Indian car manufacturers are working to produce effective engines, there is a critical need to learn the hazards of car pollutants on human health.

Some Major Car Pollutants and their Harmful Effects are as follows

Health Effects of Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide is one of the most hazardous automotive pollutants. The increasing amount of carbon monoxide in the environment reduces the delivery of oxygen to vital human organs. This hampers the overall functioning of the human heart and brain. An excessive amount of CO also results in lung diseases and breathing problems including asthma and emphysema.

High levels of carbon monoxide exposure also convert 5% to 10% of the circulating hemoglobin to carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). This possibly reduces human ability to recognize and react to light flashes. When the body comprises of around 10-30% of carboxyhemoglobin, it results in nausea, headaches, unconsciousness, and sometimes even death.

Carbon monoxide also has severe pre-natal effects. Pregnant women exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide are at increased risk of having low birth-weight babies. This ambient pollutant also affects the cardio-vascular system and the central nervous system.

Health Effects of Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen oxides also have acute adverse health effects. The higher the amount of nitrogen oxides in the air, the more the susceptibility to infections, impairment of lung and eye functions, pulmonary disease, lung diseases, and nose and throat irritations.

It also reduces the lungs ability to fight virus and bacteria, resulting in diseases like cold, flu, and pneumonia. High concentration of nitrogen oxides is directly associated with respiratory infections and sore throat in children.

Health Effects of Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons include a complex range of low and high molecular weight compounds, some of which are carcinogens. Prolonged exposure to this complex range of chemicals, often poses a low risk cancer to humans. Apart from the risk of cancer, hydrocarbons also cause coughing, eye irritation, and drowsiness because of its low molecular weight compounds.

High molecular weight compounds present in the hydrocarbons have the ability to alter the immune system and cause improper working of the respiratory system, causing long term diseases that may, in some cases, lead to fatal casualties.

Health Effects of Ground Level Ozone

Ozone is a molecule built with an energetic combination of three oxygen atoms. When ozone comes in contact with any kind of surface, the energy force transforms into chemical energy. With such a force, ozone has the power to damage the respiratory tract, mainly the upper and lower airways.

Ground level ozone causes nose and throat irritation, cough, eye irritation, headaches, increase in mucus production, chest pain, and breathing problems. It also increases the susceptibility to allergies and infections.

Health Effects of Lead

Lead is an integral compound present in petrol. Though nowadays unleaded petrol is available, it is not 100% unleaded. The emissions of lead particles are very dangerous mainly for children.

Lead impairs the normal growth and development of children, affecting their learning ability and intelligence. It also causes hyperactivity and brain damage, and reduces their ability to concentrate.

Health Effects of Particulate Matter

Particulate matter includes a range of solid and liquid particles in the air that are emitted by automobiles. Diesel cars produce more particulate matter compared to cars that run on petrol. In any case, these are one of the most harmful components to human health since they can cause a wide range of respiratory and heart diseases. Some of the heart and lung diseases caused in association with these particles may also cause casualty.

Particulate matters are of two types, larger particles and fine particles. Fine particulate matter is more hazardous than larger particulate matter, because fine particles have the ability to carry carcinogens deep into the lungs, causing long term diseases leading to a person’s demise.