It may seem that the emissions from our vehicles are not polluting the air, but, together with the emissions of thousands of other vehicles in New Brunswick , there is a definite impact on our health and our environment. Internal combustion engines used to power motor vehicles are responsible for significant levels of air contaminants in any urban area. For gasoline-fuelled vehicles, the pollutants of concern are: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (Nox), volatile organic compounds (VOC), particulate matter, and toxics such as benzene. For diesel-fuelled vehicles, the pollutants of concern are: sulphur oxides (Sox), nitrogen oxides (Nox), acid aerosols and particulate matter.
Although the newer vehicles we drive are designed to be cleaner than their predecessors, we tend to drive our vehicles further and further – eliminating the benefits of cleaner cars. As well, a lack of maintenance and/or tampering with emission control systems on light and heavy duty vehicles are responsible for a significant portion of these excess emissions. In addition, the emissions of one of the major greenhouse gases, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), are directly linked to fuel consumption. Poorly maintained vehicles can be less fuel efficient than their well maintained counterparts. This reduced fuel efficiency can result in unnecessary (CO2) emissions.
For more information, please download our Vehicle Fuels fact sheet (PDF) or visit Environment Canada’s site http://www.ec.gc.ca/air/you-can-do_e.html.