Study of clean diesel technology reveals no significant health impact

The Diesel Technology Forum issued a statement recently regarding the final report of the multi-year Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) conducted by the Boston MA-based Health Effects Institute (HEI).
HEI conducted the independent study of new technology diesel engines to determine whether the engines achieved the expected emissions reductions, thereby improving air quality for public health; as well as whether the new technologies resulted in any unintended increases in emission components.  The study concluded that exposure to new technology diesel exhaust does not cause any increase in the risk of lung cancer or other significant adverse health effects in study animals.
“The significance of this study and its conclusions cannot be overstated,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “The results of this new study verify the environmental benefits of the new clean diesel technology, which have near-zero emissions for nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), and particulate matter (PM). While this study focused on heavy-duty truck emissions, the new clean diesel technology has the potential for impacting all sectors, including passenger cars, agriculture, construction, maritime, and transportation.
“The comprehensive nature of this study by such an authoritative body as the Health Effects Institute is extremely significant,” he said. “It’s also important to highlight that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Air Resources Board, the US Department of Energy (DOE), and the US Federal Highway Administration are sponsors of this study in conjunction with the manufacturers of emissions control equipment.”
To read the HEI summary and study, click here.
“In the United States, clean diesel technology in highway truck engines is increasingly embraced by the commercial trucking sector,” said Schaeffer. “Today, more than one-third of all commercial trucks on the road are powered with 2007 generation or newer engines, which have reduced particulate matter and NOx emissions by 98% compared with 1988 vehicles. In some states, the percentage of new technology diesel engine-equipped trucks exceeds 50%.”
ACES is a cooperative multi-party effort managed by two non-profit science-based organizations, the HEI and the Coordinating Research Council (CRC). The overall effort has been guided by an ACES Steering Committee and an independent Oversight Committee comprised primarily of academic scientists.
Access www.dieselforum.org/ or www.healtheffects.org/ for more information.