Hastings & Hastings Educates on Emissions Testing and Automobile Pollution

    PHOENIX, AZ, November 25, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Emissions are a global problem, however addressing them on a global scale is difficult. The Unites States has passed several pieces of legislation in effort to regulate emissions in this country. The Clean Air Act, which was most recently amended in 1990, dictates that the Environmental Protection Agency set the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

The EPA regulates the content of six major pollutants in the atmosphere including carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particle pollution, and sulfur dioxide. Each of these pollutants it regulated to a separate individual standard.

Air pollution does not just have a global ecological impact. It can cause localized problems as well. Air pollution has been show to directly impact respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma. Some studies have even show a link between air pollution and an increased chance of cancer.

In American, emissions form persona vehicles account for over one-fifth of total U.S. emissions. This number rises even higher when alternative means of transportation, like planes, trains, and ships, are factored in. Vehicle emissions are particularly guilty of pumping carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere, which are two of the most harmful compounds.

In an effort to keep air pollution in check, the United States has set standards for emissions which all registered vehicles must pass. Emissions standards have not been around forever. Emissions testing first began in California in the year 1966. The United States as a whole adopted emissions standards in 1968. As time as gone one, these standards have tightened and become more restrictive.

Technological advances have steadily lowered the emissions over the years. As engines have become more energy efficient, it has become easier to meet emissions goals, which has in turn caused emissions goals to become more stringent.

Energy efficiency has risen, and emissions have lowered through more precise fuel metering, computerized engine management, and electronic ignition.

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