Diesel cars: What’s all the fuss about? 

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Diesel cars are taking a right hammering at the moment, but how bad is the problem and why isn’t more being done to address it?

Diesel cars are taking a right hammering at the moment.

Dirty engines spewing out noxious fumes that are polluting our cities, causing all manner of health problems, is the principal charge laid out in various reports splashed across the media this summer.

Questions have even been asked about the previously unchallenged assumption that diesel engines produce less carbon dioxide (CO2) than their petrol counterparts and are, therefore, better for the environment.

But how bad is the problem and why isn’t more being done to address it?

Why are people concerned about diesel cars?

In a word, pollution, which has severe consequences for everyone’s health.

What is the main problem?

A number of studies have shown that diesel cars, unlike petrol cars, spew out high levels of what are known as nitrogen oxides and dioxides, together called NOx. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is particularly nasty – recent studies have shown it can cause or exacerbate a number of health conditions, such as inflammation of the lungs, which can trigger asthma and bronchitis, and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

In many European cities, NO2 levels are well above European Union legal limits – twice the limit in parts of London, Paris and Munich, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Diesel vehicles are the single biggest contributor to these high levels of NO2.

Is it just NOx we should be concerned about?

No – particulate matter, which is belched out from diesel exhausts, has been shown to cause cancer. This has long been recognised, and modern diesel cars are fitted with extremely effective filters that stop almost all of this carcinogenic soot from escaping into the atmosphere.

But there are two problems. First, a lot of people remove these filters to improve fuel economy and performance. A number of specialist companies advertise removing them and it’s not illegal to do so, although your car should fail its MOT without one.

Second, NO2 forms something called secondary particulate matter when it enters the atmosphere, the effects of which are not yet fully understood.

How many people does this affect?

Studies suggest that air pollution as a whole causes hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in Europe.

When you consider that road transport, and diesel in particular, contribute a meaningful chunk, the gravity of the problem becomes immediately clear.

Indeed a recent study put the number of premature deaths in the UK attributed specifically to NO2 at 23,500.

The number of people generally affected by health problems will, of course, be much greater.

And the economic cost must not be underestimated. According to the latest figures available from the OECD, premature deaths and ill health caused by air pollution cost the UK $86bn (£56bn) in 2010.

Across OECD countries, the body says road transport accounts for half the total economic cost. Of course this cannot all be laid at the door of diesel engines.

What about carbon dioxide emissions?

We’ve always been told that diesel cars are better for the environment because they emit less CO2. This is simply because diesel engines are more efficient than petrol engines, so use less fuel to travel the same distance. Less fuel should mean lower emissions.

But data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that average CO2 emissions from diesel cars are only fractionally lower than those from petrol cars.

This is largely due to the fact that diesel cars tend to be bigger and heavier than petrol cars, so any advantages in efficiency are wiped out. Equally, diesel fuel has more carbon than petrol for the same volume, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) – burning one litre of diesel produces 12% more CO2 than burning one litre of petrol, it says.

Petrol engines have also become far more efficient in recent years.

For its part, the car industry itself maintains that when comparing like-for-like models, diesels do emit noticeably less CO2 than their petrol counterparts.

Why has all this been allowed to happen?

Good question, especially when you consider that diesel cars emit far more pollutants than they should. Just how much more is quite shocking, according to some studies.

Tests conducted by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) show that modern diesel cars emit on average seven times the EU limit for NOx.

Another study published by green transport think-tank Transport & Environment and supported by data from Emissions Analytics, suggests that about nine in every ten new diesel cars exceed the legal limit. It showed that of the 24 cars tested, only three cars – an Audi A5, a VW Golf and a BMW 3-series – complied with EU regulations. At the other end of the scale, an Audi A8 emitted 22 times the limit.

The reason is very simple. Limits are based on tests conducted in laboratories where conditions do not reflect driving out on the open road.

Real-world emissions vs EU limits

Why aren’t carmakers doing more?

The car industry says it has done a great deal already, reducing both particulate matter and NOx emissions significantly over the past few years. It also acknowledges that the current way of testing “is outdated and the discrepancy does the industry no favours”, while agreeing that real-world tests are needed.

But it also seems carmakers could do a lot more. The ICCT says the technologies for real-world clean diesels already exist, but are not being used consistently by manufacturers. Transport & Environments says it’s simply a question of cost – carmakers save about £220 a car by not using clean technologies.

And the US experience suggests it may have a point. There, a concerted effort by carmakers and government agencies to clean up diesel vehicles has resulted in massive reductions in NOx, particulate matter and sulphur.

What is the government doing about it?

European regulators are in discussions with carmakers about the introduction of real-world testing. They want to bring these tests in by 2017, but they need the agreement of all member states. Carmakers would prefer more time.

Rather bizarrely, the new limits are likely to be less stringent than the current limits, to reflect real-world testing.

But individual countries are beginning to act. The UK is one of six European countries potentially facing hefty fines if it doesn’t get NO2 levels down by 2020.

To this end, the government launched a consultation document last weekend, suggesting that diesel drivers in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton could be limited driving into the city centre.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has already announced that diesel cars will be charged an extra £12.50 on top of the congestion charge from 2020 if they fail to meet emissions standards.

Charging diesel drivers higher taxes has also been mooted.

What can I do to help?

Not a great deal, unfortunately, but there are some things you can do that will help to reduce emissions, many of which apply to all cars, diesel and petrol:

  • Don’t accelerate unnecessarily
  • Get your car serviced regularly
  • Turn your engine off if you are stationary for more than one minute
  • Stick to the speed limits, especially on the motorway
  • Check, or get your garage to check, your car’s levels of urea (effectively ammonia used to trap NOx)
  • Be very careful buying any retrofit solutions – none are fit for purpose according to Transport & Environment

Source: Diesel cars: What’s all the fuss about? – BBC News

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More people die from air pollution than Malaria and HIV/Aids, new study shows 

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

More than 3 million people die prematurely each year from outdoor pollution and without action deaths will double by 2050

More than 3 million people a year are killed prematurely by outdoor air pollution, according to a landmark new study, more than malaria and HIV/Aids combined.

Wood and coal burning for heating homes and cooking is the biggest cause, especially in Asia, but the research reveals a remarkably heavy toll from farming emissions in Europe and the US, where it is the leading cause of deaths.

The report warns that, unless action is taken, the number of deaths – already equivalent to six deaths every minute – will double by 2050. “This projection should sound alarm bells for public health agencies around the world,” said environmental health expert Professor Michael Jerrett, at the University of California and who was not involved in the research.

Most air pollution deaths are caused by tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. These cause heart attacks and strokes, which account for three-quarters of the 3.3 million annual deaths, with lung cancer and respiratory diseases responsible for the rest. The work did not include the effect of indoor air pollution, from cooking fires for example, which is estimated to cause an additional 3.4 million deaths a year.

Screen Shot 2015-09-17 at 07.30.19The new work, published in the journal Nature, is the first study to single out different outdoor air pollution sources and estimate the number of premature deaths they each cause, considering road traffic, fossil fuel power stations and other sources. The researchers used a detailed computer model of the global atmosphere to assess the impact of air pollution on different populations, including new information on how pollution affects people in China and India.

A third of all premature deaths were the result of using smoky fuels such as wood and coal for heating homes or cooking and using dirty diesel generators for electricity, all well-known hazards. This domestic energy use causes half the 645,000 annual deaths in India and a third of the 1.4 million annual deaths in China.

But the research found that agricultural emissions of ammonia had a “remarkable” impact, according to Professor Jos Lelieveld, at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, who led the research. A fifth of all global deaths resulted from these emissions, which come mainly from cattle, chickens and pigs and from the over-use of fertiliser.

The ammonia reacts with fumes from traffic and industry to produce tiny particles and is the largest cause of air pollution deaths in the eastern US, Japan and in Europe. “For London, agriculture is the main source,” said Lelieveld. Across the UK, 48% of the premature deaths were ultimately the result of agricultural pollution.

Traffic pollution was still important in developed countries, causing a fifth of deaths, despite crackdowns on dirty vehicles. It only caused 5% of deaths across the globe as a whole, but this is likely to rise as more cars take to the road in developing countries.

Air pollution from power stations, mainly coal-burning plants, was significant globally, causing one in seven deaths. It is the biggest single factor in the US, causing a third of the 55,000 annual deaths, compared to 16% in the UK.

Natural air pollution, mostly dust in arid regions, caused almost a fifth of global air pollution deaths. This source is a major factor in some dry countries, accounting for 92% of deaths in Egypt and 81% in Iran.

“The overlap of high pollution and large populations takes a huge toll on public health, but little [was] known about the pollution sources that are responsible for premature deaths,” said Jerrett. “The results are surprising and potentially important for protecting public health globally.”

Currently it is assumed that all particulates are equally toxic. But if those from fuel burning are more toxic, as some scientists suspect, the proportion of premature deaths attributable to farming emissions would be lower. Even so, Jerrett said, “the finding is highly valuable … because agriculture has generally not been seen as a major source of air pollution or premature death, and because it suggests that much more attention needs to be paid to agricultural sources, by both scientists and policymakers.”

Dr Oliver Wild, an atmospheric scientist at Lancaster University in the UK said: “The study really brings home the need for air quality controls to avoid these additional deaths, particularly in heavily populated parts of Asia.”

Source: More people die from air pollution than Malaria and HIV/Aids, new study shows | Environment | The Guardian

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Air Pollution Kills More Than 3 Million People Every Year 

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Fine particulates and ozone have been linked to deaths from heart disease, stroke and lung cancer around the globe

Tiny particles and troublesome gases in the outdoor air are ultimately responsible for some 3.3 million premature deaths annually, according to a comprehensive new look at the health effects of air pollution.

The data suggest that globally, more people die from outdoor air pollution than from malaria and HIV/AIDS combined. And if there is no change to our current control measures, outdoor air pollution could cause around 6.6 million early deaths each year by 2050.

“Air pollution appears to be a very significant source of premature mortality,” the study’s lead author, Jos Lelieveld of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, said this week in a telephone press conference.

Low-altitude ozone and fine particulates in the air have been linked to heart disease, strokes, respiratory illnesses and lung cancer. But global data on this pollution has been lacking because air quality is not monitored in many parts of the world.

Lelieveld’s team combined atmospheric modeling with population data and health statistics to create estimates of air pollution levels, where it was coming from and how many people it was killing.

Particulates can come from natural sources such as dust as well as unnatural ones, including burning wood and charcoal, large-scale power generation, vehicles and agriculture. Agriculture may seem like an odd source of air pollution, but fertilizer and domesticated animals both produce ammonia, which mixes with other types of emissions in the atmosphere to produce particulates.

The source of the particulates—and thus deaths from air pollution—varies from region to region, the study demonstrates. In the United States, for instance, where air pollution accounts for some 55,000 deaths annually, traffic and power generation are big contributors. In the eastern half of the country, the combination of agricultural fields and dense cities and suburbs combines to produce many deaths, Lelieveld says.

But the majority of deaths from air pollution occur in China and India, mostly from residential heating and cooking, which is often inefficient and produces a lot of particle-filled smoke. Researchers already knew that this type of pollution, when breathed indoors, causes around 3.5 million deaths. But Lelieveld and his colleagues found this source is also a huge contributor to outdoor air pollution, responsible for killing another million people globally.

“You cannot stop people from eating and cooking, but you can provide better technologies,” Lelieveld said during the press conference. He noted, however, that though inventors have tried to lessen this source of pollution with more efficient cookstoves, it has often been difficult to convince people to give up their traditional methods.

Lelieveld admits that his group’s dataset is not perfect. For instance, there is some research that shows that black carbon—the main component in soot—is worse than other types of particulates. If that is true, than the scope of deaths from various sources of air pollution would change. But Lelieveld and his team hope that their research will help guide governments in creating better control measures.

Evidence that such measures can reduce deaths comes from another study published today in Nature Geoscience. Dominick Spracklen of the University of Leeds and colleagues looked at the health impact from a reduction in fires linked to Amazon deforestation. They estimate that fewer fires lessened airborne particulates enough to prevent some 400 to 1,700 premature deaths in South America each year.

Source: Air Pollution Kills More Than 3 Million People Every Year | Science | Smithsonian

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Diesel vehicles could be banned from cities to clean up killer air pollution 

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

All Londoners must play their part in cleaning up the capital’s killer air pollution, former science minister Lord Drayson urged today.

He called for a quicker switch to electric cars, vans and buses and for more people to cycle and walk to work.

He also warned that diesel vehicles will have to be banned from some city centres to protect millions of people, particularly children, from being harmed by filthy air.

The Government has proposed that greater restrictions on cars, vans and lorries entering central London may be needed to improve air quality.

It suggested tighter rules for six cities in areas where air quality targets for 2020 are expected to be missed.

They are the capital, Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton.

“We are going to have to face up to the fact that removing diesel cars and diesel vans from the centre of cities at certain points is going to be necessary,” Lord Drayson told the BBC.

“But it’s not just about the policies that Government makes, what we are beginning to realise that it’s the contribution that we can all make to improving air quality.

“Making the choices around how we travel… choosing to walk, cycle to work, does make a difference.”

He denied the Government and city chiefs were being “heavy-handed” in the measures proposed to deal with filthy air in London which experts blame for an annual death toll of nearly 10,000 a year.

Environment Secretary Liz Truss was forced by the Supreme Court to publish new plans by the end of this year on how to tackle NO2 blackspots in Britain.

The consultation document, launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, states that local authorities in six cities should “consider the role of access restrictions for certain types of vehicles” to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has already announced plans for an ultra-low emission zone in the capital from 2020.

The RAC has warned it would be unreasonable to punish motorists who were encouraged by the taxation system to buy small fuel-efficient diesel vehicles with a low carbon footprint.

Source: Diesel vehicles could be banned from cities to clean up killer air pollution | UK | News | London Evening Standard

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Nine out of 10 new diesel cars exceed EU pollution limits, report finds 

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Road test reveals cars emit seven times the permitted level of exhaust emissions when tested in real-world conditions

Nine out of 10 new diesel cars break new EU pollution limits when tested on roads rather than test tracks, according to a new report.

On average, the cars emit seven times the permitted level of NOx gasses, with the worst car producing 22 times the legal limit. Models from every major motor manufacturer breached the limit when they were evaluated in real-world conditions.

From 1 September, new diesel cars in the EU have had to comply with emissions rules called “Euro 6”. However, carmakers can use a whole range of techniques to ensure that their cars perform far better under test conditions than when driven by ordinary drivers.

These include stripping components from the car to reduce weight, using special lubricants, over-inflating tyres and using super-smooth test tracks. The same techniques are used to boost the apparent fuel efficiency of vehicles.

The report, from sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E), compiled recent data to show that when diesel vehicles are tested in normal driving conditions they emit much greater levels of NOx gases. NOx gases and other vehicle-related pollution are estimated to cause half a million premature deaths each year in the EU.

The T&E report also found that motor manufacturers often sell less polluting models of the same cars in the US, where emissions rules are stricter. This is achieved by including devices that capture pollution and cost a few hundred euros.

“Every new diesel car should now be clean but just one in 10 actually is,” said Greg Archer, T&E’s clean vehicles manager. “This is the main cause of the air pollution crisis affecting cities. Carmakers sell clean diesels in the US, and testing should require manufacturers to sell them in Europe too.”

In April, the UK’s supreme court ordered the government to tackle the UK’s air pollution, which has been in breach of EU limits for years. Proposals from ministers released on Saturday include improving public transport and creating low-emission zones in a number of cities, perhaps following the lead of central London where most diesel drivers will have to pay a £12.50 pollution charge from 2020.

There are plans to introduce a new on-road test that will measure the real-world emissions of diesel cars, but it will not apply to all new EU cars until 2018 at the earliest. Carmakers have argued that on-road testing should be delayed until 2020.

“We cannot choose where we breathe so we must stop cars polluting our city air,” concludes the T&E report. “The technology to clean up vehicle exhausts is available and costs a few hundred euros. It is a small price compared to the nearly €1tn spent annually in health care and lost output and productivity. Cars with engines must be stopped from polluting our air or prevented from accessing our cities.”

Source: Nine out of 10 new diesel cars exceed EU pollution limits, report finds | Environment | The Guardian

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Singapore offers to help Indonesia again as air quality here on Monday remains in unhealthy range; 24-hour PSI at 11pm: 128-160

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Singapore has offered help to Indonesia again as air quality remained in the unhealthy range on Monday (Sept 14) following a hazy weekend.

The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) at 11pm was between 128 and 160. The unhealthy range is 101-200.

The three-hour PSI, an indicative reading not tied to the health advisory, was 181 at 11pm. It reached 249 at 9pm before declining slightly.

NEA said on Monday (Sept 14) hazy conditions are expected to persist on Monday and Tuesday.

Air quality could deteriorate as unfavourable winds may blow in denser haze from Sumatra.

Thundery showers are forecast in the pre-dawn and early morning hours may bring only a short respite.

The 24-hour PSI until 6pm on Tuesday is expected to be in the mid-to-high unhealthy range, and may enter the “very unhealthy” range if denser haze from Sumatra is blown in, said NEA.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has expressed his concern over the serious haze situation and has reiterated Singapore’s offer of help to Indonesia, NEA said.

Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Dr Siti Nurbaya Bakar has said they will consult Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Singapore’s offer as the latter is personally overseeing the haze containment efforts.

Minister Siti Nurbaya also agreed to Minister Balakrishnan’s request for Indonesia to share the names of companies which are suspected to be causing the fires, once they were able to confirm the information, NEA said.

Several outdoor events were either postponed or cancelled over the weekend due to the haze.

Given the air quality forecast in Singapore, healthy people should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, especially the elderly, pregnant women and children. Updates are available on www.haze.gov.sg, NEA’s website, its Twitter and Facebookaccounts.

Across the Causeway, unhealthy air quality was recorded on Monday morning in places such as Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

In Indonesia, 14 helicopters on Monday were dumping water on blazes on western Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo island and “cloud-seeding”, which involves using chemicals to induce rain, the country’s disaster agency said.

Source: Singapore offers to help Indonesia again as air quality here on Monday remains in unhealthy range; 24-hour PSI at 11pm: 128-160, Environment News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

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Scots air pollution reduction in last 25 years welcomed by Aileen McLeod 

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Official statistics show a long-term drop in emissions since 1990.

Figures showing a reduction in levels of air pollution over the last 25 years have been welcomed by the Environment Minister.

Official statistics reveal a long-term cut in emissions of all the main pollutants.

Between 1990 and 2013, Scotland saw decreases in emissions of 28% for ammonia, 53% for particulate matter and 67% for nitrogen oxides.

Emissions of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and lead were down 81%, 87% and 99% respectively over the same period.

Last year, sulphur dioxide emissions from large combustion plants fell by 34% compared with the previous year, mainly due to the closure of Cockenzie power station in East Lothian in March 2013, the data reveals.

Environment Minister Aileen McLeod hailed the overall findings – but said more must be done.

Dr McLeod said: “Air pollution is harmful to human health and can contribute to climate change and I very much welcome the significant progress that has been made reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides and other air pollutants in Scotland.

“However, more needs to be done. The Scottish Government is already working closely with local authorities and other partners to improve air quality and the lives and well-being of communities and individuals across the country.

“Local authorities with air quality issues in their areas have in place local action plans to improve the situation, which can include measures such as promoting walking and cycling, for example, or greater use of cleaner vehicles.

“The forthcoming national Low Emission Strategy – which we consulted on earlier this year – will ensure greater consistency in approach across Scotland.”

Source: Scots air pollution reduction in last 25 years welcomed by Aileen McLeod | Scotland | News

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Government passing the buck on air pollution, says campaigners

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Critics say plan to make councils responsible for policing pollution in urban areas offers no extra money or new powers

A government plan to meet European air quality limits by letting councils ban diesel vehicles and charge drivers more for parking polluting cars and vans is “disappointing” and could result in further court cases and tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths, critics say.

The plan, drawn up by the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) in response to a supreme court ruling, proposes individual emission limits for four different vehicle types.

Local authorities would be responsible for policing the pollution in urban areas and would be told to incentivise electric, hydrogen and other ultra low-emission vehicles.

Critics say the plan offers no extra money or new powers and defers discussion on how the clean air zones might work in practice until next year. It also dodges the issue of a new runway in south-east England that could considerably increase air pollution.

The consultation document, launched by the environment secretary, Elizabeth Truss, at the same time as the announcement of the new Labour party leader on Saturday, accepts for the first time that more than 50,000 people a year die from air pollution in the UK.

This includes around 29,000 who die prematurely as a result of inhaling minute particles of oily, unburnt soot emitted by all petrol engines, and an estimated 23,500 people who die from the invisible but toxic gas NO2 emitted by diesel engines.

The document says: “About 80% of the NOx emissions which are exceeding the law are due to transport. The largest source of emissions is from diesel cars and vans where there has been significant growth in numbers over the last 10 years.”

Defra, which has long resisted the idea of setting up a national system of clean air zones, had expected seven UK urban areas – including London, the West Midlands, south Wales and Nottingham – still to be breaking EU law in 2020. In April the supreme court ruled that this was unacceptable and said the government should come up with new plans urgently.

If the clean air zones and other measures outlined in the plan are all introduced, Defra now expects that all areas except Greater London will comply with EU pollution laws by 2020. In London the targets will be met by 2025, five years earlier than previously expected, it says.

”London has a particular set of issues due to the scale of its population and the level of challenge presented by current levels of NO2 concentrations,” the document says. “Many measures have already been put in place and we consider that the measures in these plans will improve air quality sufficiently to achieve compliance with the directive in London before 2025.”

Truss said tackling air pollution was a priority. “We want local authorities and members of the public to come forward and share ideas on action to be taken at national and local level to make our nation cleaner. From improving bus and taxi fleets to investing in cycling infrastructure and upgrading roads so they run more smoothly, we want to work with our great cities and help them make changes to become better still.”

Alan Andrews, director of Client Earth, a group of environmental lawyers who took government to the European and UK courts to force action on air pollution, said: “The first reaction is disappointment. We are heading in the right direction but we are not seeing anything like a clear commitment to doing anything.

“The government seems to be passing the buck to local authorities. There has to be a clear legal commitment to act, otherwise the plans will be rejected by Europe. If we are not convinced [that the plans will work], we will go back to court.”

Simon Birkett, director of Clean Air for London, said: “Defra is passing all responsibility, without money or new powers, to local authorities. It is flouting the supreme court ruling to submit proper plans to the European commission by 31 December by intending instead to submit a ‘plan for plans by others’.

“It is making little or no effort to comply with NO2 limit values in at least 28 UK zones before 2020, seven more before 2025 and London before 2030 unless others choose to adopt its ‘plan for a plan’ of clean air zones.”

Friends of the Earth said: “Defra claims plans would mean legal limits are met five or more years earlier than currently forecast, but even then London’s children would still suffer with illegally filthy air for 10 more years. Plans for a framework for clean air zones are welcome but there is no detail on how these could work.”

Critics also accused the government of trying to bury the document by releasing it on a Saturday morning just as the Labour leadership result was being announced.

A government spokesman said: “Well, it’s out there now. I suppose every announcement is timed in a certain way.”

Source: Government passing the buck on air pollution, says campaigners | Environment | The Guardian

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