Many people are worried about pollution from diesel vehicles following the admission by Volkswagen that 11 million of its diesel cars were equipped with cheating devices which tricked officials into believing that the vehicles were compliant with emission standards.
Engines of diesel vehicles produce many carbon particulates, most of which get caught by filters. However, some are able to get by the filters, and they are harmful to human lungs. In short, diesel engines are a major source of air pollution. The air pollution in question is known as nitrous oxide, which is the cause of many respiratory diseases in humans.
A recent study that was presented at a conference held in Amsterdam by the European Respiratory Society said that even a single diesel vehicle is able to create a noticeable spike in pollution levels. The study found that pollution was particularly heavy on busy streets.
Researcher from London’s Queen Mary University Lee Koh carried a monitor that he used while traveling along both a busy street and a calm street in London during its evening rush hour. The busier street only had slightly higher than average pollution levels, but local spikes occurred whenever a vehicle passed by. This shows that whenever a person is nearby a vehicle, they are subject to pollution. This is especially true for diesel vehicles.
The largest spikes of pollution particulates reached levels of more than 10,000 nanograms of carbon per cubic meter. This is three times the average levels that were detected in London’s evening rush hour. London has some of the highest rates of pollution in Western Europe.
Koh planned the routes by using an app known as Walkit. The app is used to show walking routes in large cities. The app is also able to provide routes that avoid areas known for having large amounts of air pollution.
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