Frequently Asked Questions
How does diesel pollution affect health?
Diesel pollution can be broken into two primary sections: gases and particulates. The gases that are damaging directly or indirectly include nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The particulates include unburned and partially burned fuel, carbonized solids and more.
The risks posed by the gases are worth noting. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) reacts with oxygen (O2) in sunlight producing ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxide (NO). Ozone is toxic as when inhaled it reacts in the body releasing highly reactive free radical oxygen which is damaging as an oxidizing agent in the body. Ozone is also highly reactive and causes airborne hydrocarbons to oxidize and produce smog which inhibits the respiratory system.
Carbon monoxide binds to the cells in the blood in particular reducing the body's ability to oxygenate properly. This causes damage to all tissues, especially the brain.
High carbon dioxide levels are seriously dangerous. Exposing oneself to levels higher than 5% of the air leads to hypercapnia. Carbon dioxide is the product of respiration in the mammalian body and is considered a waste product. If the atmosphere contains high levels of carbon dioxide the body's waste gas cannot be expelled properly leading to sickness and possible death. Typical atmospheric conditions cannot cause these effects but the increasing levels of this gas are feeding the greenhouse effect.
Particulate matter is the collective term for the non-gaseous emissions group. These can be solids and/or liquid in droplet form. Particulate matter emissions are principally divided up and categorized by size. The range of particles of greatest concern are the PM10s (particles of 10 nanometers in diameter) and lower as these are readily inhaled and can be absorbed into the blood stream through the lung tissue.?
Particulates are built up with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, also called polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) that are produced within the combustion chamber by the incomplete burning of the hydrocarbon fuel. There are sixteen PAHs that are of concern to government bodies such as the US EPA. One of the criteria for listing a PAH as concerning is the effect it has on health.
The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon family includes naphthalene. This chemical is known to have a number of impacts on health. One such impact is the destruction of red blood cells, the body's oxygen carriers. This effect leads to fatigue, loss of appetite even jaundice, nausea and blood in the urine. Another impact is the mutagenic and carcinogenic effect of the PAH. Cancers of the nose and lungs have been documented in lab mice exposed to naphthalene as well as adenomas (growths of glandular origin), which typically are benign but can become malignant.
In addition to the above grave issues many of these particulates are irritants. When inhaled they can irritate the walls of the air passages. This causes the asthma like symptoms of swollen tissue and excess mucus production, both of which inhibit respiration. Prolonged exposure is believed to contribute to the development of asthma in both children and the elderly. Some asthmatics find that exposure to diesel exhaust can initiate attacks of varying severity.
A recent study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, reveals that black carbon from exhaust emissions has a harmful impact on children. Shakira Franco Suglia found that children exposed to traffic fumes scored more poorly in verbal reasoning, visual learning and other tests. See the article here: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org
How does diesel pollution affect health?
Diesel pollution can be broken into two primary sections: gases and particulates. The gases that are damaging directly or indirectly include nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The particulates include unburned and partially burned fuel, carbonized solids and more.
The risks posed by the gases are worth noting. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) reacts with oxygen (O2) in sunlight producing ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxide (NO). Ozone is toxic as when inhaled it reacts in the body releasing highly reactive free radical oxygen which is damaging as an oxidizing agent in the body. Ozone is also highly reactive and causes airborne hydrocarbons to oxidize and produce smog which inhibits the respiratory system.
Carbon monoxide binds to the cells in the blood in particular reducing the body's ability to oxygenate properly. This causes damage to all tissues, especially the brain.
High carbon dioxide levels are seriously dangerous. Exposing oneself to levels higher than 5% of the air leads to hypercapnia. Carbon dioxide is the product of respiration in the mammalian body and is considered a waste product. If the atmosphere contains high levels of carbon dioxide the body's waste gas cannot be expelled properly leading to sickness and possible death. Typical atmospheric conditions cannot cause these effects but the increasing levels of this gas are feeding the greenhouse effect.
Particulate matter is the collective term for the non-gaseous emissions group. These can be solids and/or liquid in droplet form. Particulate matter emissions are principally divided up and categorized by size. The range of particles of greatest concern are the PM10s (particles of 10 nanometers in diameter) and lower as these are readily inhaled and can be absorbed into the blood stream through the lung tissue.?
Particulates are built up with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, also called polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) that are produced within the combustion chamber by the incomplete burning of the hydrocarbon fuel. There are sixteen PAHs that are of concern to government bodies such as the US EPA. One of the criteria for listing a PAH as concerning is the effect it has on health.
The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon family includes naphthalene. This chemical is known to have a number of impacts on health. One such impact is the destruction of red blood cells, the body's oxygen carriers. This effect leads to fatigue, loss of appetite even jaundice, nausea and blood in the urine. Another impact is the mutagenic and carcinogenic effect of the PAH. Cancers of the nose and lungs have been documented in lab mice exposed to naphthalene as well as adenomas (growths of glandular origin), which typically are benign but can become malignant.
In addition to the above grave issues many of these particulates are irritants. When inhaled they can irritate the walls of the air passages. This causes the asthma like symptoms of swollen tissue and excess mucus production, both of which inhibit respiration. Prolonged exposure is believed to contribute to the development of asthma in both children and the elderly. Some asthmatics find that exposure to diesel exhaust can initiate attacks of varying severity.
A recent study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, reveals that black carbon from exhaust emissions has a harmful impact on children. Shakira Franco Suglia found that children exposed to traffic fumes scored more poorly in verbal reasoning, visual learning and other tests. See the article here: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org