A BRITISH company which specialises in reducing exhaust emissions is helping to improve air quality in some of the world's most polluted cities.

Cataclean fuel additives are now available in Hong Kong and Macau as part of an initiative to reduce street-level pollution.

According to research conducted by The University of Hong Kong, the level of pollutants in the city air is substantially higher than levels found in other cities such as London and New York.

Diesel vehicles, particularly trucks, buses and light buses, are the main source of street-level pollution in Hong Kong.

In Macau, with the strict tightening of emissions regulations, many drivers are worried that their vehicles will fail standard emissions tests.

An evaluation carried out by John Moore's University conducted on trucks working in stop-start conditions at an Asian container terminal found that Cataclean additives resulted in an average reduction in emissions of 33.3 per cent and fuel savings of 9.7 per cent.

The move into the Hong Kong and Macau markets sees Cataclean, which is based in Liverpool, now exporting to more than 15 counties worldwide and its additives are also carried by all 1,400 RAC patrols in the UK.

The Cataclean additive is a liquid engine fuel and exhaust system cleaner produced in Britain for use in cars, vans, motorcycles and specialist heavy duty machinery.

It was first patented more than 20 years ago and the company claims that pouring one bottle of Cataclean into a vehicle's fuel tank once every three months, drivers can reduce the level of vehicle emissions by up to 60 per cent.

It can be used on both petrol and diesel engines.

The additive contains solvents that break down deposits in fuel delivery systems formed by oxidation and polymerisation of hydrocarbon. The result is an increase in the catalyst's ability to remove harmful exhaust emissions and, on diesel models, prevent the DPF from clogging.

In older vehicles, and those used often in stop/start traffic, problems can occur in the engine and catalytic converter causing a drop in performance, an increase in fuel consumption and a rise in harmful exhaust emissions such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.

Cataclean reduces exhaust emissions and regular use can make the difference between a vehicle failing or passing an MOT emissions test.

Cataclean products retail from £18 and are widely available in the UK from major motor suppliers including Halfords and Euro Car Parts.

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