[1,257 KB] Published: February 2005, Revised: June 2005
Breathing diesel exhaust is an altogether too-familiar experience in America–and unfortunately an unpleasant one. Today there are approximately 13 million diesels at work in the U.S. helping to build our cities and landscape, transport food and goods and takes us to and from work. However, more than three quarters of the U.S. population lives in cities near intersections, bus stops, highways, bus and truck depots, heavy industry and construction sites–all concentrated emissions sources. Rural areas with their agriculture and industry suffer their share of health effects from agricultural, construction and industrial diesel emissions too. The following report describes the methodology and results of a Clean Air Task Force analysis of death and disease from diesel in the U.S. each year, a more detailed companion to Diesel and Health in America: The Lingering Threat .
Diesel engine exhaust contains a number of a potent carcinogens–particulate matter (largely elemental and organic carbon soot) coated in gaseous organic substances such as formaldehyde and PAH (a group of super-toxic gases that attach themselves to particles), shown to result in adverse birth outcomes in polish children and respiratory irritants such as acrolein. Other effects of living with diesel exhaust-laden air in our communities are elevated asthma attacks, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, heart attacks, strokes and untimely deaths. In children, particulate matter has also been associated with crib death. A 2004 study showed that particles and nitrogen dioxide have chronic adverse effects on lung development 10-18 year olds leading to deficits in lung function as the children reached adulthood. What's more, diesel engines also release other gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides that form ground level ozone. Results of the California Children's Health Study suggest that ozone is associated with birth defects and new diagnoses of asthma.
Soot from diesels also has an impact on the environment. Black carbon absorbs heat in the atmosphere and is a major cause of–and potential solution to-- climate warming. For all these reasons �and more–diesel exhaust is perhaps the most damaging source of air pollution in the U.S. today.
But given today's technology there is no need for diesels on the road today to leave clouds of acrid black smoke in their wake. While the burning sensation from breathing diesel exhaust is familiar, the serious consequences of breathing diesel exhaust are less well-understood by the public. Here, for the first time, we present estimates of health damages from diesels for counties all over America. For the risk in your state or county see Clean Air Task Force's interactive web site.
Medical studies have consistently demonstrated that diesel exhaust poses a serious health threat. For example EPA estimates that the new rules for highway diesels (e.g. trucks, buses) and nonroad diesels (e.g. construction and agriculture equipment) will save over 19,000 lives annually by 2030 by strict emissions requirements for new engines, the benefits of which will begin to phase in 2007 over the period of a quarter of a century. What about the diesels which are on the road today? Statistics tell us that the average lifespan of a heavy duty diesel engine is 29 years. Because emissions control requirements are lacking for diesel engines on the road today, they will leave a legacy of polluting our roadways and communities for decades.
[ Read Publication ]