Concern over diesel powered vehicles

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Regarding particulates, tyres and brake pads are a significant source and both have had very little attention paid to them for their reduction. Tyre wear rubber dust can be up to 60% of air pollutant in some cities.

How many particulates do you get from regenerative braking systems?

[didcotdean]

Brakes are a minor issue compared with tyres.

Steam cars do get a look in every now and again as well ...

[Thatcham Crossing]

Doesn't change the dangers caused by spilt diesel.

Don't disagree - having had a few slippery moments on garage forecourts myself. It stinks aswell.

[mjones]

Regarding particulates, tyres and brake pads are a significant source and both have had very little attention paid to them for their reduction. Tyre wear rubber dust can be up to 60% of air pollutant in some cities.

That is true, but those sources produce much coarser particles than those from combustion, and so are of less concern for their health impacts, as they don't penetrate into the deepest parts of the lungs.

[Red Squirrel]

Regarding particulates, tyres and brake pads are a significant source and both have had very little attention paid to them for their reduction. Tyre wear rubber dust can be up to 60% of air pollutant in some cities.

How many particulates do you get from regenerative braking systems?

None.

There is an argument that EVs must produce more rubber dust from tyre wear, as they are somewhat heavier than fossil-fuelled vehicles. In the real world this appears to be negligible.

edit: stray word

[ellendune]

The size of the particles is very important.  I have not seen anything about the size of particles from Tyre wear.

[Red Squirrel]

The size of the particles is very important.  I have not seen anything about the size of particles from Tyre wear.

Lots here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/sbai_pres.pdf

Edit: If I've read it right, according to this, 50% of brake wear particles are less than PM20 and 40% are less than PM10^▸ (Particulate Matter with a size under 10 microns); this states that the mode for tyre wear particulates is somewhere round the 70-80 micrometres, and that only 10-30% of these particulates become airborne.

[GBM]

Concerns over nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from diesel vehicles have been raised in recent years

Newer diesels like mine that use AdBlue to counter the NO2 emissions at least partly deal with this issue, or so we are led to believe.

The new Cornish busses (& Park for Truro) all use AdBlue with diesel.  Start/stop on the deckers; not on the P&R^▸ (Park and Ride).

[Surrey 455]

As an aside, I note that the Daily Mail online is linked to from time to time on this forum. If, as may be the case, you do not support the Daily Mail and its particular viewpoint, you should be aware that every time you click a link on that website you generate advertising revenue for them.

There is also the issue of how reliable the reporting is. I'm sure you will already have seen that Wikipedia has banned the Daily Mail as an unreliable source.

[LiskeardRich]

Concerns over nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from diesel vehicles have been raised in recent years

Newer diesels like mine that use AdBlue to counter the NO2 emissions at least partly deal with this issue, or so we are led to believe.

The new Cornish busses (& Park for Truro) all use AdBlue with diesel.  Start/stop on the deckers; not on the P&R^▸ (Park and Ride).

And their mpg is around half of the Olympians they replaced!

[Chris from Nailsea]

There is also the issue of how reliable the reporting is. I'm sure you will already have seen that Wikipedia has banned the Daily Mail as an unreliable source.

Wow!  How long has it taken them to work that one out ?? 

[Tim]

Regarding particulates, tyres and brake pads are a significant source and both have had very little attention paid to them for their reduction. Tyre wear rubber dust can be up to 60% of air pollutant in some cities.

..and a major source of plastic in the oceans as well. 

[grahame]

From the Edinburgh Evening News

CAMPAIGNERS have called on rail bosses to end the use of older diesel trains after a study found excessive air pollution at Edinburgh’s Waverley station.


The research, led by academics at Edinburgh University and King’s College, London, found the Capital’s main railway station exceeded annual limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in just two weeks.


Average levels of toxic particulate matter were also found to be higher inside the station than outside, although not breaching legal limits.

The study said a “strong positive association was observed between the number of diesel trains and the concentration” of NO2. The gas irritates the eyes, nose and throat and has been linked with breathing problems.

Waverley has 491 trains a day running on diesel, about 59 per cent of the total.

The study said average NO2 levels were 86.5 micrograms per cubic metre of air, 57 per cent higher than the level directly outside the station and more than double the average annual legal limit of 40 mcgs.

What percentage of trains at Temple Meads run on diesel and how many is that per day?

[eightonedee]

I would imagine that Edinburgh Waverley is particularly vulnerable to high levels of pollution accumulating, being both in a valley and under a roof. 

[martyjon]

From the Edinburgh Evening News

CAMPAIGNERS have called on rail bosses to end the use of older diesel trains after a study found excessive air pollution at Edinburgh’s Waverley station.

The research, led by academics at Edinburgh University and King’s College, London, found the Capital’s main railway station exceeded annual limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in just two weeks.

Average levels of toxic particulate matter were also found to be higher inside the station than outside, although not breaching legal limits.

The study said a “strong positive association was observed between the number of diesel trains and the concentration” of NO2. The gas irritates the eyes, nose and throat and has been linked with breathing problems.

Waverley has 491 trains a day running on diesel, about 59 per cent of the total.

The study said average NO2 levels were 86.5 micrograms per cubic metre of air, 57 per cent higher than the level directly outside the station and more than double the average annual legal limit of 40 mcgs.

What percentage of trains at Temple Meads run on diesel and how many is that per day?

At a guess I would say, 100% of approx 200 departures per day.