nitrogen
monoxide.N2(g) + O2(g)
2NO(g)gcsescience.com 81 gcsescience.com
Environmental Issues.
3) High
temperature combustion (as in petrol and diesel
engines)
produces toxic gases in addition to carbon
dioxide.
High
temperature combustion of
fossil fuels
causes
nitrogen in the air to react with
oxygen producing toxic gases.
nitrogen
+ oxygen
nitrogen
monoxide.
N2(g) +
O2(g)
2NO(g)
As well as being poisonous, nitrogen
monoxide is a greenhouse gas.
It also reacts with water and oxygen in
the air to form dilute nitric acid.
This contributes to acid rain.
Petrol and diesel
engines also produce poisonous
carbon monoxide
and release unburnt hydrocarbons.
All of this pollution is produced at ground level, mainly in cities where
road vehicles gather. The obvious
solution is to fit road
vehicles with
electric motors rather than
petrol or diesel
engines. One day this
will happen.
In the meantime, exhausts are fitted
with catalytic
converters
in an attempt to minimize road vehicle pollution.
Headings Environmental
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