What are the Adverse Effects of Burning Fuels?
Burning of fuels like coal, petroleum, and diesel releases certain compounds. Let us look at these compounds and the impact they have on us and the environment.
Compounds Released on Complete Combustion of Fuels
Oxides like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide
- Being corrosive in nature, these compounds spoil the surfaces of many articles.
- They are suffocating in nature and can cause serious issues of the respiratory system.
- When they combine with the water vapour present in the atmosphere, they come down on the earth in the form of acid rain, which is not only harmful to the precious monuments that man has built, but also for the living
Carbon dioxide
- It is a greenhouse gas and its increase results in global
Compounds released due to incomplete combustion of fuels
Carbon monoxide
- Its toxic nature causes severe problems like carbon monoxide
- Its molecules can affect the human heart and the central nervous system adversely.
Unburnt particles
- They get mixed with the air and easily enter the respiratory system, leading to respiratory disorders like
How to Reduce the Harmful Effects of Fuels?
- Reduce the burning of
- Switch to better fuels like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). It is called a cleaner fuel because as compared to other fuels, it releases the least number of pollutants on burning, has a less cumbersome extraction process, and is environmentally
- Use the appropriate fuel only when it is required
- Use alternative sources of energy which are environmentally friendly
Summary
| Adverse effects of burning fuels | Release of compounds like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide on complete combustion of fuels. Release of compounds like carbon monoxide and unburnt particles on incomplete combustion of fuels. |
| Steps to Reduce Harmful effects of burning fuels | Reduce burning of fuels Switch to CNG Use appropriate fuels |