What are we breathing ?

[blues90]

I have worked around cars for a number of years , really sorry I ever got involved it this garbage in the first place .

My point is , driving today I was near one of those cars in need of repair , you know the ones , either a cloud of blue smoke or a white smoke . Either burnig oil or coolant .

So I thought in either case here was a good indication of just how much come out of a tailpipe . Since it's invisable crap when a car is working well you don;t see the true amount but to actually see just how far and wide burning oil or coolant becomes a cloud , then you really have to wonder what this would look like sitting on a freeway bumper to bumper if you could see all the exhaust billowing out .

[devilgrrl]

1. At least you didn't have to breath second hand smoke!

Count your blessings.

[jus_the_facts]

2. 9625 pounds of exhaust per car per year,,,,,,

Each car spills a witches’ brew of dangerous gases into the air each year, including an average of:
4,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide
300 kilograms of carbon monoxide
30 kilograms of nitrogen oxide
35 kilograms of ozone-forming hydrocarbons as well as lesser amounts of methane, lead and particulates."

http://www.rco.on.ca/factsheet/fs_b02.html *link no longer there* :(

Thats 9625 pounds of exhaust per car per year. Nearly 5 tons!


A short list of the likely pathogens in car exhaust:

Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulphur dioxide
Suspended particles including PM-10, particles less than 10 microns in size.
Benzene
Formaldehyde
Polycyclic hydrocarbons


http://www.nutramed.com/environment/carschemicals.htm

[snappyturtle]

3. Sorry but your link didn't work.......that list is incredible....

who knew?

[Random_Australian]

5. This is a suprise?

I don't mean anything by saying that, it seems I am a little naïve when it comes to what is and what is not general knowledge. :blush:

[snappyturtle]

7. I meant my remark as sarcasm! Sorry, I didn't make that clear.

It seems to me we've been well indoctrinated to the dangers of second hand smoke but this list of toxicities from our beloved automobiles is not so widely exposed and might even pale in comparison to second hand smoke.imho

[Erika]

4. My son lived on the corner of a busy road in Phoenix

His son developed asthma. The Health Department came out and did air quality tests. Because of the emissions the area was ruled inferior.

He moved and the grandson is no longer having asthma problems.

What are we doing to our kids?

[Horse with no Name]

6. I don't know Erika

I totally believe that, but we live in rural Texas and the majority of kids here are diagnosed with asthma at an early age.
My granddaughter was diagnosed at age 1 and her exposure to car exhaust is minimal because of our location and none of us smoke.
I'm glad your grandson is doing better, that is wonderful, but I think that it is the industry pollutants that cause the problems more than anything.

[stirlingsliver]

8. Plus Exhaust From Jets

Just think of all the exhause being poured out by all those jets making all those flights every single day.

Look up, and if you see jets flying, know that YOU are breathing their exhaust.