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Environmental Issues.

3) High temperature combustion (as in petrol and diesel engines)
produces toxic gases in addition to carbon dioxide.

Catalytic Converters.

Since the early 1990's, car exhausts have been fitted with catalytic converters.
These employ transition metals such as rhodium, palladium and platinum
to convert harmful emissions into less harmful substances.

Typical reactions are

carbon monoxide + oxygen    carbon dioxide.
2CO_(g)      +     O_2(g)               2CO_2(g)

carbon monoxide + nitrogen monoxide    carbon dioxide + nitrogen.
2CO_(g)         +         2NO_(g)                     2CO_2(g)     +      N_2(g)

hydrocarbons + nitrogen monoxide    carbon dioxide + nitrogen + water.

In addition, lead has been removed from petrol,
reducing widespread lead pollution in the environment.

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