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June 21st News Topics

Topics for Thurs, June 21. Plus tax where applicable.

Aaron Turpen    June 21, 2012 - 1:10PM

In reply to by Nicolas Zart

That WHO document didn't account for "clean diesel," only "diesel." Those findings were based on mining machine reports from over a decade ago. It heavily cites a U.S. National Cancer Institute study in the 1990s show that heavy exposure to diesel engine exhaust increased risk of death from lung cancer, based on a study of underground miners.

Well, duhh. Put a bunch of people in an enclosed area, fill it with anything but clean air, and they're gonna have problems. Even architects for grade schools figured that out and added ventilation.

Most of the studies cited in the WHO report are pre-2000. Hardly up to date.

David Herron    June 21, 2012 - 4:05PM

In reply to by Aaron Turpen

There were a bunch of studies in California on this - for example school children and school bus drivers, hanging around the areas where school buses are idling, tended to get asthma and other respiratory problems.

There was a study I reported on over on examiner where researchers measuring cardiovascular responses of people being driven around the highways in the LA area were having negative cardiovascular effects from breathing the air on the highway - with the worst effects being on the highways near the ports, where there are a zillion heavy diesel trucks. That study identified certain particulates as the culprit.

Clean Diesel - the TDI means Turbo-Charged Direct Injection - and they emit much less particulates and NOX than regular Diesel. This starts to be a good thing then, except TDI engines cannot be used with biodiesel.

Aaron Turpen    June 21, 2012 - 4:15PM

In reply to by David Herron

The idea of not using biodiesel in a TDI is based entirely on manufacturers being unwilling to give statements that might affect warranties later. They recommend no more than 5% mix because anything more than that is unproven in now-generation TDIs.

Arthur Daniels Midland and VWoA are testing higher biodiesel blends (20%+) in VW engines now and preliminary reports say it's all good. It comes down to quality of manufacture (for the fuel) more than it does the fuel itself.

If you're dumping Bubba's Redneck Glop into your tank, even a 1970s smoke-spewing diesel will have problems. Since biodiesel is not currently standardized, you run the risk of getting bad batches. This is why many trucking companies either don't allow biodiesel in their rigs or only allow specific brands.

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