Carbon monoxide is a product formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances. It is colorless, odorless, invisible and intangible. Its existence can only be indirectly reflected through professional detection equipment or other things.
Source:
The main sources of carbon monoxide are the use of indoor combustion equipment, vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions.
Indoor combustion equipment: This includes gas water heaters, furnaces, heaters, stoves, etc., which can easily cause gas leakage if they are not used properly or malfunction. In addition, clogged exhausts can easily lead to the accumulation of indoor carbon monoxide gas, which can cause serious health problems when the concentration is too high.
Vehicle exhaust: The carbon monoxide content in automobile exhaust is 4%~7%, which is an important source of carbon monoxide pollution in urban atmosphere.
Industrial emissions: In the industry, metal manufacturing, ore, coal mining, petroleum refining, chemical production and concrete manufacturing will release a large amount of carbon monoxide. In this regard, the industrial sector must create a safe construction environment, and the waste gas generated in industrial production needs to be monitored and take appropriate disposal methods for discharge.
The impact of carbon monoxide on the environment
Globally, carbon monoxide gas alone has no significant impact on the environment. When carbon monoxide enters the atmosphere, low concentrations of carbon monoxide will not cause harm to the environment due to the dilution and oxidation of the atmosphere. However, near the emission site, carbon monoxide can react with other air pollutants. When this reaction occurs, there is the potential for harmful ground-level ozone to form. Due to its strong oxidizing properties, ozone can easily stimulate the mucosal tissue of the human body, thereby reducing human immunity and causing skin aging.
In addition, carbon monoxide indirectly affects climate change. This is because it chemically reacts with other gases in the atmosphere to produce methane, which is second only to carbon dioxide in its contribution to anthropogenic climate change.
Increased carbon monoxide may deplete tropospheric hydroxyl radicals, slowing down the removal of dozens of man-made and anthropogenic trace gases and thus indirectly affecting the earth's climate and possibly the stratospheric ozone layer.
In general, carbon monoxide does not have a direct impact on the environment, but as carbon monoxide emissions increase, it will chemically react with other gases in the air to produce gases or substances that are harmful to the environment.
How to reduce carbon monoxide emissions
After understanding the main sources of carbon monoxide, we can find ways to reduce carbon monoxide emissions from the source.
For indoor fuel-burning equipment: it is not realistic to no longer use heaters, furnaces, stoves, etc., what one can do is to keep the equipment running as well as possible and avoid blockage of exhaust gas exhaust pipes. In addition, regular maintenance and testing of equipment are equally important, which can not only detect potential safety hazards in a timely manner, but also prolong the service life of the equipment.
For car exhaust: At present, there is no completely combustible substance in the world, so a car that uses gasoline as fuel will definitely produce carbon monoxide during driving. The first method: When we add gasoline to the car, we can add some catalysts, which can improve the combustion efficiency of gasoline, thereby reducing carbon monoxide emissions. The second method: we can drive electric cars. In China, many cities have become popular to drive a rechargeable car. Just charge the car every night and you can drive for a day. The car consumes electricity and does not emit any gas. The third method: that is, do not drive and replace the means of transportation. Such as bicycles, battery cars, buses, subways, etc.
Industry: Use clean energy to improve conversion efficiency, strictly treat industrial waste gas, and prohibit excessive emissions. For the treatment of exhaust gas, the factory may need to spend very high money to purchase some professional equipment to deal with the exhaust gas, but this is all necessary, because the greater the capacity, the greater the responsibility.