Characteristics of pollutants emitted by motor vehicles and their impact on the environment and engine operation

Gaseous and solid pollutants (dusts) of atmospheric air have been defined. Dusts have been divided according to various criteria and their properties have been given. The sources and characteristics of anthropogenic and natural pollutants of atmospheric air have been presented. It has been shown that the main sources of anthropogenic pollutants, apart from industry, are motorization, and internal combustion engines of cars are a source of gaseous pollutants and solid particles, the emission of which has been significantly reduced. The originality of the article consists in conducting an extensive literature analysis and proving that the emission of "non-engine" pollutants in the form of dust from the wear of friction linings of brakes, clutches and from the wear of tires and roads, as well as mineral dust raised from the ground, is currently a greater threat to human health and the environment than engine emissions. The impact of particulate matter emissions from road transport and mineral dust, which is the basic component of road dust, on human health, vegetation and on the operation of engine and vehicle systems is presented.