Is Platinum Green? Not so Much.

Platinum Pollution. (Spectrum).(research finds catalytic converters contribute to soil pollution)(Brief Article).
Source:Environment 43.10 (Dec 2001): p4(2). (187 words)


Since 1975, catalytic converters have effectively reduced the amount of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides in automobile exhaust. But now, research at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana has shown that catalytic converters also contribute to pollution by dispersing metals along roadways. The study is the first to link converters to elevated levels of platinum--a key component of these pollution-control devices--in U.S. soils. James C. Ely, head of the study, suggests that the concentration of platinum is approaching levels that would make the recovery and reuse of this precious metal economical, a strategy that would also prevent its further dispersal into the environment. Previous studies have detected the presence of platinum in roadside vegetation. The Notre Dame study included samples collected on roads that are bordered by agricultural crops, leading to questions about the effects on food. Whether and how these metals are incorporated into food is not known, but the study concluded th at "the potential is there," and warns that the toxic effects of platinum "should not be underestimated."

Chemical and Engineering News, 24 September; and Environmental Science and Technology, 1 October. (P.H.)