Air
Air Pollutants
Carbon Monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Unburnt hydrocarbon
Methane
Ozone
Naturally produced by living things and decay of rubbish
Greenhouse gas that traps heat from sunlight causing global warming
Forms at high temperatures, such as in a combustion engine or lightning
Causes acid rain, irritates lung tissues & eyes
Released due to incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances
Forms with haemoglobin in blood, depriving cells of oxygen, leads to headaches, fatigue or death
Naturally produced during volcanic eruptions & burning of fossil fuels
Causes acid rain, respiratory problems & irritation on eyes
Released due to incomplete combustion of fuels
May cause cancer in long term exposure
Produced at ground level due to reaction of nitrogen oxides & unburnt hydrocarbons in presence of sunlight
Forms photochemical smog causing respiratory problems & eye irritation
Catalytic converter
Device to convert harmful air pollutants to harmless substances before the exhaust gas from motor vehicles is released to the air
Types of catalyst
Palladium
Platinum
Rhodium
Type of reaction that takes place
Redox reaction
Carbon monoxide is oxidised to form carbon dioxide
Oxides of nitrogen are reduced to form nitrogen