Nitrogen Oxides
Within the high-temperature part of the fuel burning process, oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2) from the combustion air react together to form two oxides of nitrogen. These are nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2),and they are generally referred to as NOx.
There are several adverse environmental impacts of NOx formation:
- Nitrogen dioxide can contribute to smog formation at ground level.
- Nitrogen dioxide is harmful to the respiratory system.
Atmospheric reactions involving nitrogen oxide result in the formation of nitric acid (HNO3), which contributes to acid rain.
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