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| Thursday, 1 January 2004 |
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Introduction of environmentally friendlier catalytic converter by Gamini Kariyawasam Environmental protection is a global challenge, that involves the entire planet. Climates do not stop at country borders. Polluted air drifts across them and contaminated river waters flows through many lands on its way to the ocean, badly effecting human beings and fauna and flora all around the world. The quality of the air is an issue that affects us all. Most of the people do not realize the considerable physical effects poor air quality can have on them. Since the industrial revolution, world air quality has dramatically declined. The quality of air is dependent on the pollutants and emissions we produce daily. As an example, include the emission we release when we drive our vehicles. Health professionals believed that traffic emissions can be harmful to human health. Below is a table that summarises major pollutants, which are known to have a significant effect on human life. Pollutant Health effect Lead - Toxic effect on human organs. Impairs the normal intellectual development and hearing ability of children. Carbon monoxide - Reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, low doses can impair concentration, increases the likelihood of exercise related heart pain, may present a risk to the foetus. Nitrogen Dioxide - Affects respiratory and cardiovascular systems, asthma and mortality. Sulphur Dioxide - Irritation to the respiratory system, may provoke wheezing, exacerbate asthma and is associated with chronic bronchitis. Bergen - Can cause cancer As shown in the above table, if people are consistently exposed to certain allergies at even low levels they can develop allergies that can lead to many types of deceases. As you know, the ozone layer protects our earth's surface from Ultraviolet Radiation but ground level ozone is harmful to health. Ozone is not directly emitted, but is formed by a complex set of reactions. The majority of nitrogen oxides emitted from a vehicle exhaust are in the form of nitric oxide and it destroys ozone. Like nitrogen dioxide, high level of ozone can irritate and inflame the lungs. It can also cause eye irritation, migraine and coughing. Global warming and acid rains are caused due to sulphur dioxide emissions from vehicles. The likely physical effects as global warming speeds up are still unclear. Cllimate change may be to blame for 150,000 deaths each year, with tropical places and poor countries being the most vulnerable - UN Health Agency mentioned last week. Some Scientists warning that global warming could worsen over the next decades and last summer's heat wave blamed for more than 20,000 deaths in Europe. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the UN Program says, that "climate change is happening now. We can measure it". It is however likely, that many health problems will be caused by the predicted events. * Flooding of land due to rise in the sea level. * More extreme weather changes such as storms, droughts. * A shift in geographical echo systems leaving people unable to use their traditional farming methods. Rain becomes acidic when various gases dissolve in rain water to form various acids. This acid rarely effects humans directly but can have a strong effect on the ecosystems we live in, killing trees, plants and fish. The quality of the air is an issue that effects us all when air is essential to our health and the environment. In order to control the concentration of pollutants emitted to the atmosphere there are a number of agreements, policies, legislation and regulations from an international level right down to a local level. The German Federal Government has begun taking steps in reducing emissions with great emphasis on reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and developing effective strategies for adoption in the changing climate. These steps include passing new environmental laws, introducing educational programmes, and implementing economic instruments to influence the German population into reducing pollution levels, One of the Government's aims is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25% - 30% by the year 2005, relative to the 1997 emissions levels such as Control of vehicle exhaust emissions by use of catalytic converters. To reduction of vehicle emissions, by the end of 1993, catalytic converters became mandatory equipment on all new cars in Germany. Motor vehicles were equipped with catalytic converters, which reduce the pollutants in car exhaust flames by upto 90%. What is a catalytic converter? It is a revolutionary product for all types of motor vehicles. Catalytic converter is a very fine mesh made either of ceramic or thin metal sheets. This ceramic or meal mesh is thinly coated with precious metals such as Platinum, Rhodium and Palladium. The catalytic pot is inserted in the vehicle as near as possible to the engine so that the exhaust gases pass through it. The layer of precious metals induces a thermos chemical reaction which operates between 300 C and 800 C to reduce the dangerous gases. Oxygen sensors are fitted on the exhaust pipe to check the proper combustion of the air/fuel mix. If the oxygen ratio varies the sensors will react on the ignition calculators and on the injection system. The German regulation demands a lifespan of 80,000 km. On the catalysts. In Germany, catalytic converter it costs Euro 25/ (Sri Lanka Rs. 3000). Car owners in Germany pay an annual tax under the Federal act on the taxation of motor vehicles of 1979. In order to promote catalytic converters, the Federal Government has introduced tax differentials for low and reduced emission vehicles. Exempted new cars equipped with catalytic converter from the car tax for a certain period of time and offered (subsidy) cash for retrofitting existing cars with catalytic converters. The most striking feature of the German Government's program in catalytic converter was the temporary exemption from the car tax granted to any one registering a new catalytic converter equipment car. The introduction of catalytic converter in the Sri Lanka market is required if there is a wish to reduce the environment pollution. Now Sri Lanka should find out more effective strategies to switching its traffic to more environmentally compatible means of transport. (The writer is Consul General for Sri Lanka in Bonn, Germany) |
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