Getting a vehicle from point "A" to point "B" almost always includes the combustion of fossil fuels, a process that produces gases and impacts the environment. The US Department of Transportation recorded over 89.9 billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in December 1970. In December 2011, that amount nearly tripled to approximately 246.3 trillion VMT. With such a dramatic increase in traffic volume, it's natural to wonder how car pollution affects the environment and ozone. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mobile sources, principally automobiles, account for more than half of all air pollution in the United States. The fact that cars are packed with various fluids can harm the environment if they leak, adding to pollution.

Vehicle Emissions and Air Quality

When a car's engine is running, it emits various gases and particles, which harm the environment. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas; hydrocarbons — any of more than a dozen volatile organic chemicals, some of which are proven carcinogens; nitrogen oxides; sulfur oxides; and particulate matter, which includes metal and soot, are all of particular importance to the environment. Ozone and carbon monoxide are two more pollutants that harm human health and cause smog. Thanks to the 1970 Clean Air Act, air quality is now better than in the 1970s, despite the increased number of automobiles on the road. Because of the phase-out of leaded gasoline, lead emissions from cars have nearly disappeared. ETRH is a prominent emission center that offers drive clean emission tests matching Ontario's drive clean standards.

Effects on the Environment

Vehicle emissions have a variety of effects on the environment. Automobiles release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which contribute to global warming. Some air pollutants and particle matter from automobiles can be deposited on soil and surface waterways, causing harm to animals' reproductive, respiratory, immunological, and neurological systems. Acid rain is caused by nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, which alter the pH of streams and soils, causing harm to creatures that rely on these resources.

Effects on the Ozone Layer

The ozone layer helps preserve life on Earth from the sun's ultraviolet rays, but human activities have accelerated its depletion. Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, halons, methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform are examples of substances that contribute to ozone depletion by having high chlorine or bromine atoms. Because vehicle emissions include little chlorine- or bromine-rich compounds, they have a limited impact on ozone depletion. The EPA classifies hydrocarbons as having no ozone depletion potential, despite being harmful to human health.

It is essential to get your vehicle's emission test done to ensure that your car is not emitting harmful gases into the environment. Get in touch with us to know more about emission tests in Ontario.