The Coronavirus, Immissions and the Combustion Engine
- PDF / 1,089,913 Bytes
- 6 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 50 Downloads / 172 Views
e Coronavirus, Immissions and the Combustion Engine The coronavirus pandemic is providing unique experimental data not only for researchers but also for politicians with responsibility for the environment and transport. The lockdown measures resulted in a sudden and dramatic fall in the volume of personal and freight transport and a halving of the traffic peaks. We could have been justified in thinking that levels of air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter should also have fallen. But there is no clear evidence that this is the case for nitrogen oxides and particulates.
8
© heller.photography | stock.adobe.com
EMISSION REDUCTION NOT UNIFORM
A wide variety of measurement data was produced during the coronavirus crisis, some of it highly contradictory. However, we can draw some logical conclusions from it. In certain areas carbon dioxide emissions have fallen dramatically. Where smaller quantities of hydrocarbons have been burnt, less of their combustion product carbon dioxide has been produced. “In general terms we can say that if there were no more combustion engines, the air quality would improve significantly. If we reduce our diesel use by 1000 l, carbon dioxide emissions will fall by almost exactly 2650 kg. But we can’t apply the same equation to Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and particulate matter. The mechanisms that lead to the formation of these pollutants are highly complex and depend on a large number of factors. For example, if there were less traffic, the streets would be less congested and the vehicles would be able to travel much more quickly. The emissions they produced would then be quite different to the type of emissions at walking pace,” explains Dr.-Ing. Gennadi Zikoridse, Professor of Automotive and Powertrain Engineering at Dresden University of Applied Sciences. The harm that NOx and particulate matter cause to the environment and to human health is undisputed. Examples include an increase in respiratory diseases, damage to ecosystems caused by acid rain that is a consequence of sulfur dioxide emissions, and the acceleration of climate change triggered by emissions of greenhouse gases [1]. Motorized road transport produces air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane and also noise, which means that it presents a risk to the health of the population and reduces people’s quality of life [2]. HUMANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PARTICULATES AND NO X
“The sources are clearly anthropogenic,” says Zikoridse. Par ticulate matter is also generated by volcanoes. In addition, pollen and spores can be included in the category of particulates. But in cities particulate matter is mainly the result of human activities. According to experts, the main culprits in the transport sector are diesel engines and gasoline engines with direct injection, plus dust from brakes, tires and road surfaces. Other causes include industrial plants that use combustion processes and heating systems, in particular those that
Data Loading...
