title: Fate of platinum metals in the environment.
abstract: For many years now automotive exhaust catalysts have been used to reduce the significant amounts of harmful chemical substances generated by car engines, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Although they considerably decrease environmental contamination with the above-mentioned compounds, it is known that catalysts contribute to the environmental load of platinum metals (essential components of catalysts), which are released with exhaust fumes. Contamination with platinum metals stems mainly from automotive exhaust converters, but other major sources also exist. Since platinum group elements (PGEs): platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru) and iridium (Ir) seem to spread in the environment and accumulate in living organisms, they may pose a threat to animals and humans. This paper discusses the modes and forms of PGE emission as well as their impact on the environment and living organisms.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Stefanowskiego 4/10, 90-924 Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: juustyna.pawlak@o2.pl.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pawlak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Stefanowskiego 4/10, 90-924 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Łodyga-Chruścińska
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Stefanowskiego 4/10, 90-924 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chrustowicz
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007495:Iridium / Q000032:analysis; D010165:Palladium / Q000032:analysis; D010984:Platinum / Q000032:analysis*; D012238:Rhodium / Q000032:analysis; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007495:Iridium; D010984:Platinum; D010165:Palladium; D012428:Ruthenium; D012238:Rhodium
keywords: PGEs; Platinum group elements