Still, a single vehicle emitting high concentrations of CO can leave a plume cloud of carbon monoxide. Following the dirty vehicle and driving in the plume can cause health problems for some people. Why are defective exhaust systems so dangerous?
Internal combustion gasoline engines produce extremely high carbon monoxide concentrations. Even a properly tuned gasoline engine, will produce more than 30, parts per million ppm of CO in the exhaust stream before the catalytic converter.
An exhaust leak can allow escape of CO before it is converted to non-toxic CO 2 in the catalytic converter. The CO leaking from the exhaust system can enter the vehicle through holes in the body or open windows or doors.
Exhaust systems must be gas tight from the engine to the end of the tailpipe. How does the catalytic converter reduce the risks of CO poisoning? The typical catalytic converter found on most newer cars and trucks combines oxygen with carbon monoxide to form non-poisonous carbon dioxide CO 2 reducing the high concentrations in the exhaust manifold typically 30, ppm or more to low concentrations typically below 1, ppm after the catalytic converter.
Tailpipe concentrations of carbon monoxide in gasoline engines without catalytic converters are typically from 30, to over , ppm, depending on the condition of the engine.
How can CO poisoning occur if the engine has a catalytic converter? Exhaust gas that leaks out before the catalytic converter has high CO concentrations. Out-of-tune or misfiring engines produce elevated concentrations of carbon monoxide and unburned fuel that can destroy the catalytic converter. During cold starts the catalytic converter is ineffective. And if there is insufficient oxygen caused by operation in a closed building or with a defective oxygen system , there will not be enough oxygen for oxidizing the CO to CO 2.
What is the problem with pick-up toppers, open tailgates, and holes in the vehicle body? For carbon monoxide poisoning to occur, a person must breath the CO. What about people who live on the ground floor next to a busy street?
Except in very polluted typically 3rd world places. But lets face it, air is simply not the same after it has been pumped through a piston engine or turbine. Busy streets are not the place to find pristine air quality…. The amount of carbon monoxide that comes out of the tailpipe in modern cars has been dramatically reduced from the cars of yesteryear, but it has not been completely eliminated.
And carbon dioxide will sufficate you too. That is exactly what kills you if you place a plastic bag over your head…the carbon dioxide replaces the oxygen. In the open, it would be very hard to get enough CO to give you more than a headache, unless you put your face near the tailpipe.
You will still kill yourself just as dead as you would in the '70s if you run your car in a closed garage. It may take a little longer than with cars of yesteryear, but the CO will still get you. And as the exhaust fumes build up, the car will run less and less efficiently and produce more and more CO and other toxic waste products.
Any combustion except for the combustion of pure hydrogen will produce some carbon monoxide as a waste product. As others have said, combustion uses up the oxygen in the air in an enclosed space. So whether you suffocate from lack of oxygen or CO poisoning, it will still kill you. Certainly catalytic converters and modern computer controls do an amazing job of cleaning up tailpipe emissions.
Gutting Your Converter Also, the heat will cause the metal to expand, making it more difficult to remove. Does Cleaning Always Work? Getting a replacement is expensive, but it keeps your vehicle legal and efficient. Also, cleaning might not work if you have an internal oil or coolant leak.
Those who steal catalytic converters try to sell them once they remove the part from the car. Although the quantities vary by model, on average, only one standard catalytic converter contains about grams of platinum, grams of palladium, grams rhodium.
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