Deadly Diesel Pollution has been hiding in Plain Sight

Diesel Pollution – Unobserved/Unreported

A new study from the University of York research has given details on the impact of long chain hydrocarbon found in the emissions from diesel engines, which had been unobserved and unreported. As per the study, `longer chain hydrocarbons that is released from the diesel vehicles does not seem to be clearly as part of air quality plans and there are some direct measurements of their abundant gaseous in the atmosphere.

But the research team have developed a methodology to measure levels of the hydrocarbons that are signs to the formation of ozone and particulate substance which are both considered as pollutants of specific apprehension. The effect of long chain hydrocarbons has been basically overlooked by car manufacturers as well as official air quality measurements which is about to change.

Dr Jacqueline Hamilton, who is the lead author of the study, informed BBC that `there is actually a lot of this unburned material from diesel which we have not seen earlier. That could be having a bigger effect on ozone and particle formation than petrol cars tend to be and historically no one has looked at these emissions at all’.

Particulate Matter – Overwhelming Impact on Health

Particulate matter is said to have a possibly overwhelming impact on the health of those who are exposed to it and the study perceived that presently in the UK, exposure to particulate matter is likely to reduce life expectancy on an average by seven to eight months and with a public cost probably up to £20 billion annually.

It was found in a study carried out in London that around 50% of ozone production in winter was owing to long chain hydrocarbons from diesel which also added to 25% of summer ozone formation. Dr Hamilton stated that it has a large impact on air quality in their cities and the number of death linked with particle pollutions seems much higher than those from nitrogen dioxide.

The attention of the media had been drawn to diesel pollution after the disclosure that Volkswagen had falsely reported its car’s diesel emissions in the USA. It is a known fact that diesel tends to contribute severely to air pollution though following the signing of the Kyoto procedure climate change agreement in 1997, Europe had supported as well as subsidized the sale of diesel cars owing to their lower CO2 releases.

Concerned Deeply in Nitrogen Dioxide/Toxic Particulate Matter

Professor Paul Monks of the University of Leicester, who heads the UK government’s air quality expert group, informed BBC that the new research tends to raise yet another question regarding diesel vehicles. They are concerned deeply in nitrogen dioxide, in toxic particulate matter and this indicates to another deleterious environment effect from diesel’.

Nitrogen dioxide pollution from diesel adds to the formation of photo-chemical smog like that seen across Europe earlier in the year. According to new data, a situation is described as a disgrace by one MEP, it is said that a modern diesel car tends to pump more toxic pollution than a bus or a heavy truck

As per a report from the Norwegian Centre for Transport Research, diesel cars that were tested in Norway, produced quadruple of nitrogen dioxide releases of large buses and lorries in city driving conditions. Another study for Transport for London portrayed that a small car in the super mini class released several time more nitrogen oxides than most of the HGVs and the same amount that of a 40 tonne vehicle.