Diesel Exhaust Essay

437 Words2 Pages
Quan Diesel exhaust from idling school buses can accumulate around the bus and makes it a health risk, particularly to children. When buses idle in the school yard, the exhaust can also pollute the air inside the school building and become a health risk to children throughout the day. Exposure to diesel exhaust can cause lung damage and respiratory problems. Diesel exhaust can also cause asthma and existing allergies, and long-term exposure is thought to increase the risk of lung cancer. However, there are some simple steps that schools can take to reduce idling time and air pollution. Air pollution from diesel vehicles has health threat for everyone, but children should pay more attention to this pollution because they breathe 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults do. Diesel exhaust contains small particles, known as fine particulate matter, as well as smog-forming and toxic air pollutants. Exposure to these pollutants is associated with increased childhood illnesses. More than 24 million children in the United States ride a bus to and from school every day. In our school, at school bus locations, people must limit the idling time during early morning warm-up to what is recommended by the manufacturer (generally 3 to 5 minutes). In colder climates, block heaters can help to warm the engine of older vehicles to avoid starting difficulties and shorten warm-up time. New vehicles are designed to start easily at all temperatures without idling. In the winter, people must provide a space inside the school where bus drivers who arrive early can wait. They should also follow the anti-idling laws and guidelines that many states have in place. Furthermore, we also need to make sure both the bus company and the bus drivers understand the importance of the new guidelines. They should notice the economic benefit of reduced fuel consumption if they
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