Diesel Exhaust and Cancer, FYI

derjack

Adventurer
The use of ULSD fuel with a lower sulfur content helps. Add a DPF filter, a DEF tank with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, now the air being drawn into the engine is dirtier than what goes out the tail pipe.

1 the discussion on cancer caused by diesel exhaust is not a new thread in Germany. It's known public since years! Of cause not that big topic in the us as diesel are not that common.
Since that EU emission standards have grown from standard no. 2 to version 6! Including DPF (without such a thing you are not allowed to drive into big cities in Germany, since today!).

2 DPF lower the amount of exhaust BUT particles are soo much smaller due to that and of course the extremely high pressure of common rail that inhaled particles don't stop in human lung. These particles enter your body, your blood directly! This is much more critical! However the amount of particles is lower.

As there is a huge automotive lobby in Germany, as you know, this thread is, of course, not deeply discussed public.


PS: US car exhaust are usually directed to passenger side. This is a topic that MUST be always changed in EU if you want an US car on the street 😉
 

86scotty

Cynic
I wish I could take back all the years during my younger days when I worked around idling diesel delivery trucks all winter, both in and outdoors, just so we could all keep the cabs warm. I hate the smell too.
 

medicfernando

Adventurer
Crap. I thought it was pixie farts coming out of my tailpipe... I don't think it should take a "study" to figure out that standing around breathing in the exhaust from ANY type of engine isn't the best thing for your health. But then, people still smoke cigarettes, don't they?

It is funny to me (actually a little pitiful) that when you share some well-intended information the smart-a$$es come out of the wood work. Just trying to be helpful.
 

86scotty

Cynic
It is funny to me (actually a little pitiful) that when you share some well-intended information the smart-a$$es come out of the wood work. Just trying to be helpful.

Fernando, keep up the good work. Most of us, or myself at least, appreciates the info. Idling trucks and being around lots of running equipment is a very real hazard for lots of people, myself included, who work outdoors. I'm really unclear why some would scoff at, or ridicule, this information.
 

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
It is funny to me (actually a little pitiful) that when you share some well-intended information the smart-a$$es come out of the wood work. Just trying to be helpful.

I appreciate that you are trying to be helpful. And I think your "pity" would be better spent on people who are actually still oblivious to the fact that exhaust emissions are hazardous to ones health. My sarcasm was not meant to belittle your contribution, it was meant to point out that it is sad that sheeple have to be TOLD that standing in a plume of exhaust, or any type of smoke, fume or what have you is a bad idea. It is sad that our educational system doesn't seem to reach a lot of people, and that common sense is, in fact, rather uncommon these days.
 

medicfernando

Adventurer
I appreciate that you are trying to be helpful. And I think your "pity" would be better spent on people who are actually still oblivious to the fact that exhaust emissions are hazardous to ones health. My sarcasm was not meant to belittle your contribution, it was meant to point out that it is sad that sheeple have to be TOLD that standing in a plume of exhaust, or any type of smoke, fume or what have you is a bad idea. It is sad that our educational system doesn't seem to reach a lot of people, and that common sense is, in fact, rather uncommon these days.

I am not spending any pity actually, but I do appreciate the clarification. My interest in the subject arises from a passionate interest in the subject of Firefighter cancer. We are exposed to many carcinogens in the normal performance of our duties, some of which we cannot control. Diesel exhaust frequently is one of those exposures since, as someone else pointed out, during a structure fire, there are many high idling pumpers spewing exhaust into our immediate work area. As you point out, everyone should know the dangers, but surprisingly, I still see diesel vehicles idling almost daily. It still perplexes me.
 

lndhark

Adventurer
Some cities have actually banned vehicles from idling for any given amount of time. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan (East Berkeley, CA) and this ban has been considered for years; it has yet to pass the city council. Now, I'll admit - when it's -9 degrees F outside, I'll hit the remote starter on my Outback to run the heater a bit and take the chill off the inside. Also, my work vehicle (gasoline Tahoe) idles for countless hours per shift. However, gasoline (non-DI) engines emit very few particulates. In spite of DPF additions, diesels still emit a large quantity of rather large particles. This is primarily Fernando's concern, especially at idle. I appreciate his bringing this to everyone's attention, and I hope that something is done to improve the health of our brothers and sisters that work in the building next to mine at City Hall.
 

derjack

Adventurer
Some cities have actually banned vehicles from idling for any given amount of time. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan (East Berkeley, CA) and this ban has been considered for years; it has yet to pass the city council. Now, I'll admit - when it's -9 degrees F outside, I'll hit the remote starter on my Outback to run the heater a bit and take the chill off the inside. Also, my work vehicle (gasoline Tahoe) idles for countless hours per shift. However, gasoline (non-DI) engines emit very few particulates. In spite of DPF additions, diesels still emit a large quantity of rather large particles. This is primarily Fernando's concern, especially at idle. I appreciate his bringing this to everyone's attention, and I hope that something is done to improve the health of our brothers and sisters that work in the building next to mine at City Hall.

Maybe some additional point on DPF: Some friends of mine are working in the automobile industry in Germany. They´ve heard that obviously DPF reduce massively the amount of particles, which is good. BUT the out-coming particles after the DPF are are so small that the particles wont stick in the human lung anymore. These small particles can be directly absorbed from the lung and go inside the body via blood.
Of cause nobody wants to hear that and nobody has any kind of lobby to go into a study for that. Especially regarding the big ones in the Germany Car industry.
 

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