Study Warns Of Health Risks From Diesel School Buses
Student exposure to air pollution from diesel school buses can be cut by 90 percent if school districts use ultra low sulfur fuel and add soot traps, according to a new study by the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago.
School bus riders are “often exposed to a high level of diesel exhaust,” says Dr. Edward Naureckas, assistant professor at the University of Chicago, and a board member of the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. “Diesel fumes are known to be harmful to humans and are probably carcinogenic, so we need to do everything we can to reduce the amount of diesel emissions inhaled by children.”
The study measured the diesel exhaust students are exposed to on a conventional school bus compared to a bus using ultra low sulfur fuel and retrofitted with emission reduction equipment.
On a typical bus ride, researchers found schoolchildren are exposed to up to five times as many diesel emissions as they would encounter on a retrofit bus.
The conventional school bus generated up to 200,000 diesel particles per cubic centimeter inside the cabin compared to a maximum of 40,000 in a retrofit bus.
The researchers found that in a typical bus stop scenario, diesel exhaust levels exceeded 500,000 particles per cubic centimeter as the accelerating bus passed a departing student.
By contrast, they say, the retrofit bus never exceeded 40,000 particles.
The health risk from diesel is increased on school buses because idling buses produce a build up of high concentrations of particles inside the bus cabin. In addition, diesel exhaust accumulates in the area surrounding an idling bus and can seep into school buildings, or waft over student activity areas.
Particulate matter – a major component of diesel exhaust – has been linked to a variety of serious health issues from upper and lower respiratory infections, asthma attacks and possible asthma onset, to heart attacks and premature death. More than 60 percent of airborne particulate matter from mobile sources comes from diesel exhaust. Children with asthma and respiratory illnesses are particularly sensitive to diesel fumes.
“This report is an important first step in our initiative to clean up diesel school buses and reduce the amount of emissions inhaled by Illinois children,” said Joel Africk, CEO, American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. “The next step is for Illinois to pass a no idling bill that can reduce emissions significantly at virtually no cost.” N
Provided by theEnvironmental News Service.