What are the environmental problems associated with the combustion of hydrocarbons?

I need to make notes for my chemistry homework.. I don't have my book so can't really do them so please help me ... This is the question:


'Make notes on the environmental problems associated with the combustion (complete or incomplete) of hydrocarbons.


Include:


Sulfur dioxide


Carbon dioxide


Carbon monoxide


NOx





If these form other compounds, what are they? What problems do they cause? How can we reduce this?





Please Help x|||Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides cause acid rain by dissolving in water droplets in clouds; forming sulfuric and nitric acids. We can usually get rid of them by passing them over a catalyst, called a catalytic converter which are usually fitted - and have been for some time - in the exhaust systems of cars.



Carbon dioxide, obviously, contributes to global warming as it is a green house gas: it collects in the lower atmosphere and reflects heat back into the earth that has been radiated by the earth's surface.



Carbon monoxide is poisonous to us, if we breathe it in it replaces the oxygen in our blood so our blood cannot carry around the oxygen to our cells. We would die if we inhaled too much of this. It is formed when there is not enough oxygen present for fuel to react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide -%26gt; instead of CO2 we just get CO, see how there are less atoms of oxygen present in the carbon monoxide molecules?



There are also tiny particules made up of unburnt hydrocarbons called Particulates. They travel into the upper atmosphere and cause global dimming - which as the opposite effect to global warming.



Hope this helps. x|||Basically, combustion of hydrocarbons will produce compounds listed above. Sulfur and Nitrogen containing hydrocarbons will produce NOx and SO2 upon combustion. Normally CO2 is an essential compound in the life cycle as this is needed by plants to grow and controls the earths temperature. Excessive amounts of these gases in the atmosphere hinders radiation of heat from the earths surface back into the space. This will increase the earths atmospheric temperature in years which will then resuls into "Global Warming". On the other hand, SOx and NOx upon precipitation will produce acid rain.