User:Mzkoya26/sandbox

Wikipedia Article Topic
The topic I plan to add to is: "Pollution in California". I've specifically found a content gap under the "Tailpipe Emissions" section and would like to add more content to this.

Comment
These all sound very specific as new pages unless you plan to contribute them to existing pages. What are the pages you plan to contribute to? Also identify some sources for whichever one you choose and then assign that one to yourself. Julianfulton (talk) 04:49, 23 February 2019 (UTC)

Outline
Main Article: "Pollution in California"

Subheading: "Tailpipe Pollution"

What is Tailpipe Emissions?


 * Johnson, Timothy, and Ameya Joshi. “Review of Vehicle Engine Efficiency and Emissions.” SAE International Journal of Engines, vol. 11, no. 6, Oct. 2018, pp. 1307–1330.

How does Tailpipe Emissions Affect Us?


 * https://sciencing.com/effects-car-pollutants-environment-23581.html
 * https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/vehicles-air-pollution-and-human-health/cars-trucks-air-pollution

Emissions Regulatory Efforts in California


 * The Smog Check Program
 * Mérel, Pierre, and Emily Wimberger. “Improving Air Quality in California’s San Joaquin Valley: The Role of Vehicle Heterogeneity in Optimal Emissions Abatement.” Journal of Environmental Economics & Management, vol. 63, no. 2, Mar. 2012, pp. 169–186.
 * California Air and Resource Board (CARB)
 * https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work
 * Bureau of Automotive & Repair
 * https://www.autorepair.ca.gov/About_BAR/History_and_Overview.html

Preventing Tailpipe Pollution


 * Ashley, Steven. “Reducing Tailpipe Emissions with Catalytic Converters.” Mechanical Engineering, vol. 116, no. 11, Nov. 1994, p. 81.


 * "WMA Statement on the Prevention of Air Pollution Due to Vehicle Emissions.” World Medical Journal, vol. 60, no. 4, Dec. 2014, pp. 147–149.

Draft
What is Tailpipe Emissions?

With the modern world and the industrial expansion of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles, tailpipe emissions continue to be vital contributors to air pollution. Each vehicle that has the capability of burning fossil fuels emits some sort of harmful substance into the air every minute that they are running. Three of the most common gasses produced by vehicles include hydrocarbons, carbon monoxides and nitrogen oxides. However different in some ways, the formation of these gases within the engine all adhere to a single basic factor which happens to be the combustion of fuel and air. Combustion in no case is ever a perfect chemical reaction. In every combustion process there is either extra fuel or not enough fuel; therefore, creating and emitting unwanted gases.

Firstly, there is hydrocarbons which is the most common and a very abundant pollutant of vehicles. Hydrocarbons are the products of fuel that have not burnt through the process of combustion. In some cases of combustion, fuel remains a raw vapor as it exits the tailpipe of the vehicle. These particles of raw gasoline vapor, or hydrocarbons, go through the entirety of the combustion process without taking part in the process and manages to escape into the air we breathe. Along with unburnt fuel, there are other factors to vehicles emitting hydrocarbons as well. For example, in a vehicle, the fuel system is pressurized. This is because gasoline is highly volatile and any small leak can mean that the gas vapors, or hydrocarbons, will escape into the air. These small leaks can be anywhere within the entire "Evaporative Emission Control System," or the system that houses and delivers the fuel to the engine. Any cracks in fuel lines or ventilation hoses along with even worn or loose gas caps will cause raw gasoline particle to escape into the air, polluting it with hydrocarbons.

There is also the issue of the combustion taking place with a concentration that is too fuel rich. In this case we find that there is the formation of carbon monoxides. Carbon monoxide is formed in the combustion process when there is the combustion of fuel with insufficient amounts of oxygen, preventing the formation of the normal carbon dioxide and therefore ends up forming carbon monoxide molecules, which can possibly be fatal to humans.

Another harmful substance that results from the combustion process is nitrogen oxide. Nitrogen oxide is formed not as a deformity, but rather is a result of the the different compositions of air. Air is composed of two main elements: nitrogen and oxygen. Therefore as the engine intakes the surround atmospheric air for the combustion process, nitrogen happens to be one of the elements being sucked in. In the cases of regular ambient temperatures, the two gases nitrogen and oxygen are not chemically reactive with each other, yet when they are together inside the cylinder of an engine while combustion processes are occurring, they become reactive. These high temperatures inside the cylinders cause the nitrogen and oxygen atoms to bond creating the substance nitrogen oxide which is then emitted into the air through the tailpipe of the vehicle.


 * Crouse, William Harry, and Donald L. Anglin. Automotive Emission Control. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Gregg Division, 1977.


 * The most common gasses emitted by internal combustion vehicles include: Hydrocarbons, Carbon Monoxides, Carbon Dioxides and Nitrogen Oxides. -https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/air/planning/ozone/cars.aspx

Harmful Effects of Tailpipe Emissions

On average, each vehicle emits about 250 pounds of carbon monoxides, 18.32 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 29 pounds of hydro-carbons and 9,737 pound of carbon dioxides every year. These gases emitted by vehicles are harmful to humans both directly and indirectly. The biggest and most widely known issue caused by vehicles is due to the carbon dioxide they produce. Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas because they ascend into the atmosphere and act as a blanket within our atmosphere causing the "Greenhouse effect". The "Greenhouse Effect" is a global phenomena that is causing rises and temperatures and sea level. While the carbon dioxide continues to trap heat inside the atmosphere. With the rise of carbon dioxide gases in our atmosphere worldwide, transportation poses as one of the highest contributors to air pollution. According to the EPA, transportation produces around 29% of the Greenhouse Gas emissions worldwide.

Tailpipe emissions also pose a more direct harm to humans. The majority of the gases being emitted by the tailpipe of a vehicle can lead to numerous complications and health issues. Excess ingestion of any of the gases will sever oxygen delivery to ones organs, and can lead to serious issues such as breathing and heart problems. Mass intakes of these gases will begin damaging organs within a human body immediately, disabling a persons breathing capability. High doses of these gases can also contribute to heightened levels of allergic reactions, irritations, bronchitis and even pneumonia. Yet, even if large amounts of these gases are not ingested at once, small doses of these gases can lead to numerous long term detriments as well. Continuous small doses of these gases can lead to the deterioration of one's lungs and even contribute to future heart diseases.


 * Some of the gases emitted by these vehicles contribute to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases are one of the major causes of global warming and contribute to climate change which affects the overall health of everyone. -https://sciencing.com/effects-car-pollutants-environment-23581.html
 * https://gispub.epa.gov/air/trendsreport/2018/#effects
 * On average, per vehicle per year there are about 250 lbs of Carbon monoxides emitted, 18.32 lbs of Nitrogen Oxides, 29 lbs of Hydro-carbons and 9,737 lbs of Carbon Dioxide.
 * On average, per vehicle per year there are about 250 lbs of Carbon monoxides emitted, 18.32 lbs of Nitrogen Oxides, 29 lbs of Hydro-carbons and 9,737 lbs of Carbon Dioxide.

Emissions Regulatory Efforts in California

In response to the emissions effects, California has taken the initiative to put in place multiple programs and organizations to help regulate tailpipe emissions from vehicles. Two of the largest governmental organizations instituted in California to reduce emissions effects include: California's Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR). Each of these organizations take continuous efforts to revise the laws to ensure that vehicles that are being driven on the streets are not over polluting the environment that we live in. CARB and BAR cooperatively instate multiple regulations pertaining to the emissions components on cars which are California specific. Due to these efforts, California is widely known as one of the most regulated states when adhering to tailpipe emissions. In order to legally operate a vehicle in California, most vehicles must be CARB compliant as well as pass the biennial smog test.

The Smog Check program is one that has been instituted in most of the states throughout the United States, however in California the program proves to be one of the most stringent tests. The test is not stringent due to the nature of the testing procedure, but rather the emissions cut-points and defining of legal parts that California enforces. California goes about implementing different smog guidelines for different vehicle model years. For instance, according to the DMV website, vehicles of the model year 1975 and older are all smog exempt and do not need to go through the process of getting a smog inspection in California. It may be true that these older cars in actuality emit more pollutants than its newer counterparts, but from a cost effectiveness standpoint there simply aren't enough cars that are 1975 and older to implement smog tests on these vehicles. On the other hand however, vehicles ranging from 1976 to 1996 have a multi-part smog inspection which needs to be completed once every two years. This test consists of the following: tail pipe emissions test, a visual inspection, an evaporative emissions system pressure test and a check to ensure ignition timing (on applicable vehicles). Each one of these components of the test are essential to keep a vehicle from over-polluting into the environment. The evaporative emissions system test, for example, would determine that the system is pressure tested and secured with no leaks so that excess hydrocarbons are not being emitted into the atmosphere. While on the other hand, the tail pipe emissions test directly measures the amount of pollutants that the vehicle emits. The State of California has set rigorous tail pipe emissions cut points for each vehicle that then determines whether it will pass or fail the emissions test. These cut-points are set for the amounts of hydrocarbons, carbon-monoxides, nitrogen oxides and percent carbon dioxide that a vehicle is permitted to emit before it is considered to be over-polluting. The Bureau of Automotive Repair and California's Air Resources Board conducts multiple tests throughout the year to gather enough sample data to set reasonable values for the cut-points for each vehicle within California. In doing so, the state's two main concerns are to limit air pollution, and prevent excess consumer failure rates. Therefore, through their roadside smog tests and emissions surveys California manages to maintain cut-points that reflect reasonable values.

Another major factor within the smog check program is the visual test. The visual test is important, especially in California because it ensures that vehicle emissions components are not damaged or tampered with. BAR and CARB have continuously implemented strict aftermarket or tampered parts guidelines specific to each vehicle make and model. Every vehicle registered in California must be equipped with either original equipment from the manufacturer or if it does contain any aftermarket emissions related parts it must have an executive order approved by CARB. These executive orders ensure that the aftermarket part that is being installed on the vehicle will not increase the emissions of the vehicle. CARB has an extensive database of the parts that are legal to use within California and any vehicle equipped with these parts must also be equipped with a sticker or badge that indicates the executive order number of the part.

Most states will allow a vehicle to pass its smog inspection even when equipped with non-CARB approved parts installed on the vehicle, as long as the vehicle is still functioning properly. In terms of proper functionality, these states examine the vehicle check engine light and in some cases conduct a two speed idle test in which vehicle emissions are examined at a standstill state of the vehicle. However, in California even if the vehicle is so-called "functioning properly" it will not pass smog if any emissions components are not equipped with an executive order number. The state of California enforces this because the state's set emissions cut-points are held at much higher standards than most other states. Therefore, if a part is not CARB approved there is a high chance that it leads to more than ideal emissions particles being emitted by the vehicle. By adhering to CARB legal parts, consumers are helping reduce the pollution effects of their vehicles on the Earth.