Health Issues from removing catalyst converters?

[yashart_mp3]

Me and my buddy were having a discussion about running catless. I have no cats on my car, and besides the foul smell and hurting our environment, I thought nothing of it. He was telling me that running catless can also cause cancer, and other illnesses not only to myself but others. This is the first I have ever heard of this. He said that the risk is low, but still a risk none-the-less. Anyone have any input on this?

I have been doing some research on the topic now, as it interests me, but have come up with very little via google. I may see what some scholarly sources have on the topic. I just want to see if others have heard of this, or any other adverse side effects of running catless.

 

[BOOSTR]

Life causes health issues. But like you I have never heard of this theory. Sounds like something that people that want everyone to either walk, ride a bike,or drive a solar powered car would say. I'm staying catless on all of my vehicles!

 

[BlackCherry06]

There's no definitive way to determine if hydrocarbon emissions are a direct cause of any kind of cancer. That would require subjecting humans to prescribed doses of it and watching for the long term effects..and that's not going to happen. What you are doing is releasing excessive amounts of it into the atmosphere which could very well be causing those with respiratory diseases (such as myself) some amount of distress. You're contributing way more than your share to the orange and red air alerts you see on the news every morning. Some might also say you're contributing to global warming, but that's still sketchy in my eyes. If given the chance, drive up to the highest point in town, or look out the window when you're on an airplane ascending over the city and you'll see a brown layer of crud...this is from vehicles and other internal combustion engines, and you're adding more than your share to it. I'm assuming you don't have to submit to emissions testing in your area.

 

[RacerXGirl]

What about a hi-flow cat for your car? You'd still be getting better performance versus the stock, but not contributing to the slew of crud in the air...

(I know that I've read that the emissions have been shown to directly contribute to higher rates of asthma and upper respiratory illnesses...)

 

[thewrench]

(I know that I've read that the emissions have been shown to directly contribute to higher rates of asthma and upper respiratory illnesses...)

Just thinning the herd.....

 

[melicha8]

Well here's my .02 as a biochemist. I will say that any incompletely combusted hydrocarbon can lead to cancer. They do not need humans to prove this. There are various animals that can model the cancer pathways in the body. Smog has like Racer x Girl has pointed out is linked to asthma and resperatory illness

 

[theurgy]

I vote we use Al Gore as a test subject to prove it.

 

[Mr. Win]

What about a hi-flow cat for your car? You'd still be getting better performance versus the stock, but not contributing to the slew of crud in the air...

(I know that I've read that the emissions have been shown to directly contribute to higher rates of asthma and upper respiratory illnesses...)

^^ Bingo. There is no definitive answer (yes/no). Your asking a question with too many variables. We can't even prove that smoking causes cancer. If the idea bothers you, then just add a hi-flow cat and be done with it. It will A) possibly (again another question with too many variables) help the environment and B) shield you from an possible exhaust related health issues.

 

[AlaskaP5]

In addition to sequestering some of the hydrocarbons, the CAT also converts Carbon Monoxide (CO) to Carbon Dioxide (CO2). CO is a federally regulated pollutant that has a 1-hour exposure standard of 30 ppm (40 milligrams per cubic meter of air). health effects will be noticeable at this concentration.

Now, of course the toss up is, converting CO to CO2 is increasing greenhouse gasses, which could be attributed to climate change.

AND there is definative evidence that many uncombustable hydrocarbon are attributed to cancer and there are reference exposure levels (RELs) defined for many of them. At the REL concentration, the increased risk due to exposure is very high. Note that exposure does not mean you will get cancer, it means there is an increased risk of getting cancer.

 

[pasadena_commut]

We can't even prove that smoking causes cancer.

We can and we have.

That doesn't mean that everyone who smokes will get cancer though. There's some biology in that (for instance: some folks have much better DNA repair than others) and some dumb luck (it's possible to jaywalk blindfolded and make it to the other side of the street - but it's not a very good idea.)

As for the original poster, remember that all cars ran without cats for the first 70 years or so of the automobile. I doubt anybody can tell you what fraction of those people died of cancer from their own exhaust. Given what's in car exhaust, some for sure. Probably fewer though than died from solid steering column impact to the chest. Still, it's clearly safer for you and the environment if you leave the cat on, and it has the extra benefit of allowing you to register your car, at least here in California.