Mary Muthoni arrives at a roadside garage in Roysambu, Nairobi’s Kasarani area, on a sweltering Friday midmorning. Her vehicle, a red Nissan Juke, requires the removal of its catalytic converter.
The woman in her middle age expresses concern over her car’s loss of power while overtaking on the highway, deeming it risky. She has been advised by a friend to remove the muffler (catalytic converter) for optimal performance. This friend had already done so with her own vehicle.
“I must have it removed. Otherwise, I fear for my life when I am unable to overtake and avoid oncoming vehicles,” insists Muthoni, displaying unwavering determination to have the catalytic converter removed.
However, the mechanic, Samuel Maina, firmly refuses to comply with her request.
Muthoni joins the growing number of car owners who voluntarily seek the removal of their vehicles’ catalytic converters, despite warnings from experts regarding their role in filtering harmful toxins from exhaust emissions, which contribute to air pollution.
In some cases, drivers mistakenly confuse catalytic converters with sound-absorbing devices, believing that their removal will give their vehicles the distinctive sound of a Subaru on the roads.
The toxic substances released from burning fuel are sifted through by the catalytic converters. These converters eliminate the minute harmful particles known as particulate matter, which pose a threat to the environment.
If these unseen particles are emitted, they can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs, leading to respiratory illnesses that may prove fatal in the long term. They are measured in micrometers and can either be 2.5 micrometers or 10 micrometers, hence referred to as PM2.5 and PM10 respectively.
PM2.5 particles are so minuscule that they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. There is ample evidence that prolonged exposure to PM2.5 can have detrimental effects on health over extended periods (years).
Maina states that he would not remove the catalytic converter unless he knew who Muthoni was and why she required its removal.
However, in certain cases, unauthorized mechanics have been stealing catalytic converters without the knowledge of car owners, as it has become a lucrative venture.
“This has become a valuable commodity, and anyone can pretend to be a customer interested in having the muffler removed, only to turn around and apprehend you. Removing it is against the law, and unless you are acquainted with the owner and can agree on its sale, it is a risky endeavor. One kilogram is valued between Sh30,000 and Sh40,000,” explains Maina as he leans against an electric pole, still hesitant to remove the catalytic converter.
Maina further claims that these converters are utilized in the production of bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which is why the police arrest those involved in their theft and sale.
“However, due to instances where catalytic converters are removed without the knowledge of car owners, some of them ask the mechanic to remove it and sell it, rather than risk it being stolen,” clarifies Maina.
A study conducted by Harvard University reveals that catalytic converters employ a catalyst, typically a precious metal such as platinum or palladium, to accelerate the chemical reaction between oxygen and air pollutants. They convert these pollutants into less harmful byproducts like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen gas.
“The passage of exhaust fumes through a metal enclosure coated with the catalyst can eliminate up to 98% of pollutants from them, and regulations mandating the installation of catalytic converters on vehicles and smokestacks have significantly enhanced air quality in cities worldwide since the 1970s,” states the study.
George Mwaniki, the director of Air Quality for Africa at World Resources Institute in Nairobi, explains that catalytic converters are designed to trap most of the air pollutants within the vehicle, preventing their release into the environment. Removing them means that pollutants are directly emitted into the atmosphere, exacerbating air pollution.
“Emissions from a vehicle, whose catalytic converters has been removed are potent air pollutants and they include particulate matter which drives more than 70% of health complication emerging from air pollution. Other pollutants such as volatile organic compounds are very hazardous and are a leading cause of various types of cancers and other major health complications. A vehicle whose catalytic converter is in place significantly reduces the emissions of these pollutants and therefore safeguards human health and ecosystem integrity,” Mwaniki says.
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) carried out a study that estimated tailpipe emissions to account for roughly 361,000 premature deaths from ambient PM2.5 and ozone worldwide, with that number rising to roughly 385,000 in 2015. Furthermore, exhaust from on-road diesel vehicles accounted for roughly 181,000 premature deaths worldwide.
James Mutua says Grogon is the headquarters for the removal of the mufflers.
“You won’t miss a day without seeing a mechanic being chased by Flying Squad that he has removed a muffler. It’s very common here. I can guarantee you though; you will never get to see the muffler after it’s removed. They wrap it up in a carrier bag and is taken away within minutes if not seconds,” Mutua says.
“Emissions from a vehicle, whose catalytic converters has been removed are potent air pollutants and they include particulate matter which drives more than 70% of health complication emerging from air pollution. Other pollutants such as volatile organic compounds are very hazardous and are a leading cause of various types of cancers and other major health complications. A vehicle whose catalytic converter is in place significantly reduces the emissions of these pollutants and therefore safeguards human health and ecosystem integrity,” Mwaniki says.
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) carried out a study that estimated tailpipe emissions to account for roughly 361,000 premature deaths from ambient PM2.5 and ozone worldwide, with that number rising to roughly 385,000 in 2015. Furthermore, exhaust from on-road diesel vehicles accounted for roughly 181,000 premature deaths worldwide.
James Mutua says Grogon is the headquarters for the removal of the mufflers.
“You won’t miss a day without seeing a mechanic being chased by Flying Squad that he has removed a muffler. It’s very common here. I can guarantee you though; you will never get to see the muffler after it’s removed. They wrap it up in a carrier bag and is taken away within minutes if not seconds,” Mutua says.