School buses and diesel exhaust
On this page
- Diesel exhaust
- Health effects of diesel exhaust
- Diesel exhaust and school buses
- What we are doing about air pollution from diesel exhaust
- How to decrease risk for children in school buses and around schools
Diesel exhaust
Diesel exhaust is a mixture of air pollutants including gases, particles and other chemicals. Some pollutants in diesel exhaust can affect your health. These pollutants include:
- nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
- particulate matter (PM)
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
The content of diesel exhaust can depend on engine type and operating conditions.
Health effects of diesel exhaust
We published a report on the health effects of diesel exhaust.
The report shows that diesel exhaust can contribute to increased:
- medical visits
- lung problems
- heart problems
- allergy symptoms
- asthma symptoms
Diesel fuel exhaust can also contribute to:
- lung cancer
- premature death
Diesel exhaust and school buses
School buses are considered a safe way to transport children. Many children in Canada rely on school buses to take them to and from school. For example, in Ontario, 79% of students take a school bus to get to school.
School buses that run on diesel fuel are widely used in Canada. Diesel exhaust from school buses can contribute to poor air quality:
- inside schools
- inside the school bus
- outside, near idling school buses
- outside of schools in areas where children play
Children can be more sensitive to the effects of air pollutants including those from diesel exhaust because:
- they tend to be more active
- their respiratory systems are still developing
Children with asthma are especially vulnerable.
Some studies have shown that children exposed to diesel exhaust have an increased risk of developing asthma.
What we are doing about air pollution from diesel exhaust
We have introduced stricter regulations to reduce air pollutant emissions from diesel-powered vehicles. Decreased emissions resulting from these regulations are mainly due to:
- improved engine performance
- adoption of the latest emission control technologies
- cleaner fuels, including fuels with low sulphur content
How to decrease risk for children in school buses and around schools
You can help decrease how much children are exposed to diesel fuel exhaust:
- inside buses
- inside schools
- around schools
Bus drivers can:
- turn off engines during pick up and drop off
- avoid driving directly behind another diesel school bus when possible
Schools can change the timing of their ventilation system so that large air intakes are decreased during rush hour and pick up and drop off times.
To help decrease pollutants from diesel school buses, school transportation providers can use new technologies like:
- replacing older diesel school buses with newer, cleaner buses
- adding emission control technologies to older diesel school buses (retrofitting)
Contact us
If you have questions about diesel exhaust from school buses, contact us at:
Email: hc.air.sc@canada.ca
Telephone: 1-833-223-1014 (toll free)
For more information
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