Air pollution from residential wood heating (RWH) presents challenges at the intersection of climate and public health. With a revised National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS, at 9 μg/m) for particulate matter (PM) in the United States (U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Health Insights
February 2022
Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emissions from a plastic coating industrial source in southern New Hampshire (NH) have contaminated at least 65 square miles of drinking water. Prior research indicates that high levels of PFAS are associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes, including an increased risk of cancer. Reports indicate that mean blood serum levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), one type of PFAS, in residents of the exposed community are more than 2 times greater than the mean blood serum level in the US.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle is known regarding the oxidative potential of biodiesel particulate matter (PM) relative to diesel PM emitted from heavy duty diesel (HDD) nonroad engines generated in real-world occupational settings. The composition of biodiesel and diesel PM can include transition metals, polar, and nonpolar organic species which can increase oxidative potential via production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Elevated ROS can lead to oxidative stress and induce antioxidant defense, inflammation, and toxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiodiesel is regarded by many as a "greener" alternative fuel to petroleum diesel with potentially lower health risk. However, recent studies examining biodiesel particulate matter (PM) characteristics and health effects are contradictive, and typically utilize PM generated by passenger car engines in laboratory settings. There is a critical need to analyze diesel and biodiesel PM generated in a "real-world" setting where heavy duty-diesel (HDD) engines and commercially purchased fuel are utilized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiesel engine emissions are an important source of ultrafine particulate matter (PM) in both ambient air and many occupational settings. Biodiesel is a popular, 'green' alternative to petroleum diesel fuel, but little is known about the impact of 'real world' biodiesel combustion on workplace PM concentrations and particle characteristics including size, morphology, and composition; or on biological responses. The objectives of the present work were to characterize PM workplace concentrations and tailpipe emissions produced by the combustion of commercially purchased low sulfur petrodiesel and a waste grease B20 blend (20% biodiesel/80% petrodiesel by volume) in heavy duty diesel (HDD) nonroad equipment operating in a 'real world' rural recycling center.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubstantial scientific evidence exists on the negative health effects of exposure to petroleum diesel exhaust. Many view biodiesel as a 'green', more environmentally friendly alternative fuel, especially with respect to measured reductions of particulate matter in tailpipe emissions. Tailpipe emissions data sets from heavy-duty diesel engines comparing diesel and biodiesel fuels provide important information regarding the composition and potential aggregate contribution of particulate matter and other pollutants to regional airsheds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany organizations are interested in biodiesel as a renewable, domestic energy source for use in transportation and heavy-duty equipment. Although numerous biodiesel studies exist, biodiesel studies are nearly absent from the literature. This study compared the impact of petroleum diesel fuel and a B20 blend (20% soy-based biodiesel/80% petroleum diesel) on occupational and environmental exposures at a rural municipal facility in Keene, NH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany organizations interested in renewable, domestic energy have switched from petroleum diesel to biodiesel blends for use in transportation and heavy-duty equipment. Although considerable evidence exists on the negative health effects of petroleum diesel exhaust exposures in occupational settings, there has been little research examining biodiesel exposures. Working collaboratively with a local municipality, concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and other air toxics were measured at a recycling facility in southwestern New Hampshire while heavy equipment operated first on petroleum diesel and then on a B20 blend (20% soy-based biodiesel/80% petroleum diesel).
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