The City of Delhi, with a human population of over 16 million has nearly 9 million vehicles on its roads running over 100 billion kilometers every year, spewing out nearly 4 million tonnes of fuel emissions into the atmosphere every year (9900 tonnes per day). About 2 to 5% of these emissions (about 200 to 500 tonnes per day) are in the form of highly toxic gases and particulate matter hazardous to human health and well being.

Introduction of catalytic converter in our automobiles played a vital role in the reduction of harmful emissions such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen. The three-way catalytic converter which consists of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh; Pt–Pd–Rh), while reducing harmful emissions also increases the concentration of platinum group elements (PGEs) into the environment.

 

environmental sciences Foster care The large blue butterfly, Maculinea arion, knows how to fool ants into raising their caterpillars. But when the ant, Myrmica sabuleti, disappear there survival is at stake, a study has shown. The butterfly lays eggs on thyme flowers and the caterpillars fall on the ground after hatching. Thanks to a chemical caterpillars secrete, ants mistake them for

Researchers have found a new, efficient catalyst to convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen - a discovery that could help make the use of hydrogen-powered cars more practical in the future.

The catalyst - which was presented this week at the American Chemical Society meeting in Philadelphia -makes hydrogen from ethanol with 90 per cent yield.

It is much less expensive than others being developed around the world because it does not contain precious metals, such as platinum or Thodium.

Commuters' exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) especially BTEX travelling in passenger cars in Kolkata, India were quantified in Phase I (2001–2002) and Phase II (2003–2004). Monitoring was made inside and in the immediate outside of passenger cars fitted with and without catalytic converters using different types of fuels, along two congested urban routes.

Makes catalytic converters as good as new

The catalytic convertor completes 30 years of cleaning vehicle exhaust

The Supreme Court in its order of 4.10.1999 called for suggestions regarding emissions control from two-wheelers and three-wheelers. The EPCA, in its earlier report of August, 1999, had made a brief recommendation that on scooters, which are high emitters of particulate, suggesting that the norms be tightened further, and the next set of standards be announced early.

This report discusses the issue of smog and smog makers with shocking revelations on vehicular pollution.