Catalytic boat, dirtier than expected?

1989/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

Cars carrying the catalytic boat, in addition to increasing the greenhouse effect, emit a gas that destroys the ozone layer.

The catalytic canister is a box placed on the car leak that reduces emissions of pollutants such as hydrocarbons, carbon oxides (II) and nitrogen oxides. A modern boat removes 80% of these contaminants, but produces nitrogen oxide as a side product.

So far nitrogen oxide (I) has not been considered pollutant, but Sweden and France have just seen that its concentration in exhaust gases increases considerably with the use of the catalytic pot. According to the study, cars with catalytic canisters emit 5 times more nitrogen oxides (I) than those without.

It is known that nitrogen oxide (I) is involved in the deterioration of the ozone layer and that it is also greenhouse gas. However, it is difficult to determine the role and importance of nitrogen oxide in these degradation processes.