Environmental Impact

Greenhouse Gasses and the Kyoto Protocol

Over the past several decades, rising concentrations of greenhouse gasses have been detected in the Earth’s atmosphere. It has been hypothesized that the continued accumulation of greenhouse gasses could lead to an increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface and cause a variety of changes in the global climate, sea level, agricultural patterns, and ecosystems that could be detrimental.

The Kyoto Protocol established emissions targets for each of the participating developed countries. The target for Canada is 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Two of the emissions covered under the Kyoto Protocol are Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen oxide. Under stringent tests conducted by Environment Canada at their Emissions Research and Measurement Division Testing Facility in Ottawa, OxyFuel showed reductions of 6 to 10% for Carbon dioxide and 6 to 61% for Nitrogen oxide as compared to gasoline.

Air Pollution, Cars, and Public Health

While much progress has been made over the past several decades in improving air quality, air pollution is still a major health concern in many areas, and motor vehicles are a major source of air pollution. In some areas, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter. Driving a private car is probably a typical citizen's most "polluting" daily activity. A poorly maintained or malfunctioning car releases up to 100 times that of a well-maintained car. Transportation emissions are an important contributor to global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, and ground-level ozone (smog), now being dealt with under the Kyoto protocol.

Air pollution is the contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances. Air pollution can cause health problems, including burning eyes and nose, itchy irritated throat, and difficulty breathing. Some contaminants found in polluted air (e.g., benzene, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide) can cause cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage, and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages. Above certain concentrations and durations, air pollutants can be extremely dangerous and can cause severe injury or death.

Air pollution can affect people's immune systems, airways, and lungs; can increase the risk of respiratory infection; and can contribute to lung cancer. Air pollution can also aggravate asthma and cause asthma episodes. Symptoms of exposure to air pollution can include mild irritation to the nose, eyes, and throat, coughing, wheezing, and a reduced ability to exercise outdoors. Children, the elderly, and people with asthma are at particular risk.

Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness among children and the number one cause of hospitalization among children under 15. More than 8.5 million children under 18 have asthma. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the reduced use of cars in Atlanta, Georgia during the 1996 Summer Olympics led to improved air quality and a significant decrease in hospital emergency room visits for asthma. More than 1.9 million children in the United States with asthma are potentially exposed to unhealthful levels of ozone, according to a recent study from the American Lung Association.

Children are more vulnerable to air pollution for a number of reasons, including having respiratory organs that are not fully developed, breathing in more air per pound of body weight than adults, and having narrower airways that are more affected by tissue inflammation.

Air pollution can also damage the environment and property. Plants and animals and their habitats can be harmed by air pollution. Air pollution has thinned the protective ozone layer above Earth. It can damage buildings, monuments, statues, and other structures. Air pollution can also result in haze, which reduces visibility and can sometimes interfere with aviation.

Ozone (O3)

Ozone is formed by reaction with NOx of photochemically reactive organic compounds, commonly referred to as VOC (volatile organic compounds including aldehydes, olefins, and aromatics). Ozone occurs naturally in the stratosphere and provides a protective layer high above the earth. At ground-level, however, it is the prime ingredient of smog. Short-term exposures (1 to 3 hours) to ambient ozone concentrations have been linked to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for respiratory causes. Repeated exposures to ozone can make people more susceptible to respiratory infection and lung inflammation, and can aggravate pre-existing respiratory diseases such as asthma. Other health effects attributed to short-term exposures to ozone, generally while individuals are engaged in moderate or heavy exertion, include significant decreases in lung function and increased respiratory symptoms such as chest pain and cough.

Children active outdoors during the summer, when ozone levels are at their highest, are most at risk of experiencing such effects. Other at-risk groups include outdoor workers, individuals with pre-existing respiratory disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease, and individuals who are unusually responsive to ozone. Recent studies have attributed these same health effects to prolonged exposures (6 to 8 hours) to relatively low ozone levels during periods of moderate exertion. In addition, long-term exposures to ozone present the possibility of irreversible changes in the lungs which could lead to premature aging of the lungs and/or chronic respiratory illnesses.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

VOCs like all organic compounds, contain carbon. Organic chemicals are the basic chemicals found in all living things and all products derived from living things. Volatile chemicals produce vapours easily at room temperature. VOCs include gasoline, industrial chemicals found in gasoline such as benzene and solvents such as toluene and xylene. VOCs are released from burning fuel such as gasoline or natural gas. Vehicle emissions are an important source of VOCs. Many VOCs are also called Total Hydrocarbons (THC).

OXYFUEL shows Hydrocarbon reductions of 22 to 83% in comparison to gasoline and Benzene levels on average are 60% lower than normal gasoline. (As per Environment Canada Emissions Testing Program and SGS CANADA INC. certified testing lab results.)

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

The major health concerns associated with exposure to high concentrations of SO2 include effects on breathing, respiratory illness, alterations in the lungs' defences, and aggravation of existing cardiovascular disease. Major subgroups of the population that are most sensitive to SO2 include asthmatics and individuals with cardiovascular disease or chronic lung disease, as well as children and the elderly. Fuel combustion (e.g., from automobiles) is a significant source of emissions of sulfur dioxide.

SO2 travels long distances and contributes to acid rain and damage to vegetation (including forests and agricultural crops) and to freshwater lakes.

OXYFUEL has shown Sulphur levels as low as 7ppm and are on average over 70% lower than normal gasoline. (As per SGS CANADA INC. certified testing lab results.)

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream through the lungs and reduces oxygen delivery to the body's organs and tissues. The health threat from CO is most serious for those who suffer from cardiovascular disease. At higher levels of exposure, healthy individuals are also affected. Visual impairment, reduced work capacity, reduced manual dexterity, poor learning ability, and difficulty in performing complex tasks are all associated with exposure.

OXYFUEL shows Carbon Monoxide reductions of 35 to 88% in comparison to gasoline. (As per Environment Canada Emissions Testing Program)

Nitrogen Oxide (NO)

Nitrogen oxide can irritate the lungs and lower resistance to respiratory infections such as influenza. The effects of short-term exposure are still unclear, but continued or frequent exposure to concentrations higher than those normally found in the ambient air may cause increased incidence of acute respiratory disease in children. Nitrogen oxides are an important precursor to both ozone and acidic precipitation (acid rain) and can affect both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The regional transport and deposition of nitrogenous compounds arising from emissions of NOx is a potentially significant contributor to such environmental effects as the growth of algae and subsequent unhealthy or toxic conditions for fish in the Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries. In some parts of the western United States, NOx have a significant impact on particulate matter concentrations. Automobiles and fuel combustion (e.g., electric utilities) are a significant source of emissions of nitrogen oxide.

OXYFUEL shows Nitrogen oxide reductions of 6 to 61% in comparison to gasoline. (As per Environment Canada Emissions Testing Program)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the principal greenhouse gas emitted as a result of human activity (e.g. burning of gasoline). If inhaled in great concentrations CO2 can be toxic and can cause in increase in the breathing rate, unconsciousness, and other serious health problems. Carbon dioxide is also a major emission to be reduced under the Kyoto Protocol.

OXYFUEL shows Carbon dioxide reductions of 6 to 10% in comparison to gasoline. (As per Environment Canada Emissions Testing Program)

Aromatics

Aromatics is the term given to the group of gasoline hydrocarbons that includes benzene, toluene, and xylenes. These compounds have long been used in gasoline blends because they are relatively high in octane. However, aromatics have a wide range of potential health effects, ranging from known carcinogens (benzene) to lower potency central nervous system and liver toxicants (toluene). According to NESCAUM (Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the use of aromatics in gasoline substantially increases toxic emissions.

OXYFUEL on average has Aromatic levels over 75% lower than normal gasoline.
OXYFUEL on average has Benzene levels over 60% lower than normal gasoline.
OXYFUEL on average has Olefin levels over 80% lower than normal gasoline.
OXYFUEL on average has Manganese levels over 90% lower than normal gasoline.
(As per SGS CANADA INC. certified testing lab results.)