Tiny Bits of Soot Tied to Illnesses

[Dale Reed]

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/21/science/21AIR.html

April 21, 2001
Tiny Bits of Soot Tied to Illnesses
By ANDREW C. REVKIN

n a new review of the science behind its proposal to purge fine soot from the air, the Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that there is a stronger link than ever between the tiniest soot particles and thousands of premature deaths each year.
<snip>
But the administration did take a strong stand on a big source of this kind of pollution in February, when Christie Whitman, the E. P. A. administrator, strongly endorsed a rule drafted by the Clinton administration that would sharply curtail emissions of soot and other emissions from diesel engines.

The separate standard proposed for soot and air would limit concentrations of particles smaller than 2. 5 microns to an average of 15 micrograms per cubic meter measured for three years in a row. Until now, the agency has only had limiting particles of 10 microns and smaller, but no specific limit on the smallest ones.
<snip>


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1990(140,000 miles), W250, 3. 54, 5spd(replaced on guarantee), new head gasket at 98,000 miles, Reunel winch bumper, extra front and rear leaves, K&M air filter, Stanadyne fuel filter and Performance Formula Fuel Conditioner, Borgeson steering assembly and modified steering box to stiffen the steering, balanced drive shafts fore and aft, driver’s side rubber mat loose to mop up the water that leaks into the cab, CB and 2 meters(KB7VEJ), above the cab aluminum canopy with kayak/canoe rack. It’s a keeper.

 

[danandamy]

#ad
How shocking. Another study that finds we will have to be regulated by the government more. What a shock. This whole envirnmental thing is so obviously the bastion of the socialist movement today it's not even funny.

Daniel

 

[dabubba]

ya and the same gov. funded a study of tomatos. the study's findings were conclusion all who eat will tomatos DIE-

 

[Power Wagon]

Originally posted by dabubba:
ya and the same gov. funded a study of tomatos. the study's findings were conclusion all who eat will tomatos DIE-

Well, the government didn't fund this study... but, it turns out that 100% of people who use seatbelts will die.

The link hasn't been completely proven, but safety experts have been re-evaluating the statistics, and have discovered a strong statistical link to almost every 'safety' device invented. Everyone who uses them eventually dies. This has led the Washington DC chapter of Keep Our Own Kids Safe to issue this warning: "There is strong statistical evidence to suggest that people who do anything will die, and that doing nothing will speed the process. In the interest of public mortality prevention, we're suggesting every action be scrutinized carefully, and evaluated for relationship to mortality among it's participants. This new information has been ignored by the current administration, which has been derelict in banning activities associated with mortality. "

As far as the soot goes... the morons at the EPA are to blame for it... Since previous to regulating soot, much of what was produced was long-chain carbon, which fell to the ground and quickly fell apart. But, the epa insisted that was dangerous and that "scrubbers" be installed, which turned the long-chain heavy carbon into the very small floating carbon particles now associated with health problems.

You won't see anyone saying this on the EPA site, however.

 

[illflem]

The EPA is also looking at regulating agricultural dust in my area, they say it is blowing 300 miles into Portland OR and damaging lungs there. Another recent event, that for some reason the media hasn't been reporting, was a large dust storm in Mongolia last week, which also picked up large amounts of Chinese industrial air pollution, was tracked by NOAA( the weather guys) drifting and settling in the western US.
Anyone else out west notice the redder than normal sunsets this week? Now you know why.
Maybe the EPA should require that everyone in the world wears dust masks.

 

[wxman]

Yeah, I wonder if this PM will be blamed on diesel engines too? #ad
Here's the article:

"Dust storm spreads haze across western states"
(Source: Associated Press, 4/17/01)

DENVER - A dust storm that began in Mongolia and picked up industrial pollution from China has spread a haze across a quarter of the U. S. mainland, experts said Tuesday.

The whitish haze has been seen from Calgary, Alberta, to Arizona to Aspen, Colo. , where weekend levels of particulate - matter that reduces visibility and can cause respiratory problems - quadrupled from the previous weekend. Gene Feldman, an oceanographer from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. , said aircraft have been monitoring matter in the dust clouds.

"At one time, this dust cloud was bigger than Japan," he said.

Russ Schnell, director of observatory operations for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, said the cloud will reach the East Coast but should dissipate in the next several days.

In late 1998, scientists claimed to have documented the spread of industrial pollution from China to the United States, where it caused pollution levels as high as two-thirds of federal health limits.

"This storm is a godsend to pollution researchers," Schnell said. "People are finally realizing that what we have been saying for years is true. Pollution from Asia is being carried across the oceans. "

The two experts said it was unusual for such matter to be so visible to the naked eye. In Aspen, particulate levels measured 58 millionths of a gram per cubic meter of air, compared with 14 millionths of a gram a week earlier.

"We had the same kind of haze when Mount St. Helen's erupted but the particulate didn't come down to the ground level as much," said Lee Cassin, director of Aspen's environmental health department.

//end//

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1989 D250, 727 auto trans, 16 cm^2 turbo housing, Banks Powerpack, Turbo Shop Intercooler

1998 VW Jetta TDI, Powershot 2000 Propane System

[This message has been edited by wxman (edited 04-21-2001). ]

 

[Power Wagon]

Originally posted by illflem:
The EPA is also looking at regulating agricultural dust in my area, they say it is blowing 300 miles into Portland OR and damaging lungs there. Another recent event, that for some reason the media hasn't been reporting, was a large dust storm in Mongolia last week, which also picked up large amounts of Chinese industrial air pollution, was tracked by NOAA( the weather guys) drifting and settling in the western US.
Anyone else out west notice the redder than normal sunsets this week? Now you know why.
Maybe the EPA should require that everyone in the world wears dust masks.

I've even seen proposals (not made by serious types... not yet, at least) that all of the land in places like Eastern Washington be "dust-controlled". I honestly have no idea HOW it's intended to be done, but I'm sure it'll be impossibly expensive and will involve removing all human activity from the area.

Boise Cascade over in Wallula has been targeted forever for emitting "particulate" matter. They keep insisting the air around it is far too polluted (no mention of the smell, just the particulates). It turns out that it's blowing dust from the semi-desert area all around it. Boise Cascade's plant doesn't emit much of anything. However, the laws don't take into account "natural" pollution, and just require terribly expensive things be done if hte air is dirty. Doesn't matter where the dirt comes from, just that it's there. Somehow, Iowa Beef is supposed to keep the cows from stirring up dust, too. Go figure.

 

[klenger]

I don't want to stir anything up here, but why does the EPA still allow cigarette smoking in resturants?

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Ken Lenger
2001. 5 2500 QC 4X4 SWB SLT, ETC/DDX 5 Speed, 3. 54 (no LSD), camper group, trailer folding mirrors, RBR CD/Radio, LT265/75R16E AT OWL tires, trailer tow group, Patroit Blue / Agate, Westin CPS Step Bars, Jordan Utlima Brake Controller, Weather_Guard 664 tool box/
Replaces 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 which is for sale.
Trailite 21' Travel Trailer, ~4000 lbs loaded.

 

[Ray J]

Sooner or later, everyone who brushes their teeth will eventually die. LOL

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01 2500 Sport, QC, LWB, Auto, 4. 10, 4x4, Camper Pkg, Tow Pkg, Geno's muffler eliminator pipe, rest is stock for now.
62 T-Bird

 

[JohnE]

Klenger;
TRIPLE taxation. Food, Alcohol & Tobacco. One of the same reasons our government will not outright ban tobacco.

Bill;
Have you considered tobacco farming? Government subsidizes the first 10 acres. Got to be better than apple farming where they penalize you for every 10 acres?

All;
Many years back there was a theory that diesel particulate emissions would cause cancer. the thought was water vapor turned the particulate into activated charcoal and trapped all the nasty unburned hydrocarbons and other junk. They started gathering research in England at a diesel shop. They stopped when the cancer rate of the mechanics was LOWER than average.

My 2&cent;
John

 

[wxman]

Originally posted by Power Wagon:
As far as the soot goes... the morons at the EPA are to blame for it... Since previous to regulating soot, much of what was produced was long-chain carbon, which fell to the ground and quickly fell apart. But, the epa insisted that was dangerous and that "scrubbers" be installed, which turned the long-chain heavy carbon into the very small floating carbon particles now associated with health problems.

You won't see anyone saying this on the EPA site, however.

I fully agree. Regulating PM emissions by mass has caused relatively large particles with short atmospheric lifetimes to become much smaller particles with much longer atmospheric lifetimes to be emitted. In my opinion, PM should be regulated by particle number, not mass.

By the way, several recent studies suggest that gasoline engines emit as many or more (much finer) particulates as diesel engines under many operating conditions. When is the last time you heard any uproar about gas engine PM?

 

[dabubba]

don't worry about smoking in resturants and bars-- hey the tree huggers are comming to a government in your state- they have outlawed smoking in all buildings in the peoples republic of california--- yes we notice it when we go out of state-- but is it fair?? #ad
#ad
-- when do our rights as individual americans get squashed for the so called common good #ad
- the majority mob rules --hmmm--

 

[Amianthus]

Keep Our Own Kids Safe. HA! I get it. That was pretty good.

KOOKS! #ad


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'99 2500 ISB QC SLT (No Leather!), 4x4, 5sp w/McLeod, 4:10, BD-II, PE, PE-EZ, 4"exh. , Pac-Brake, A-Pillar gauge pod w/boost and pyro, Line-X, V-1, lights, siren, lic. plt. frame says "Diesel Fumes Make Me Horny!", and much more goofy stuff.

 

[Diesel Freak]

I thought Soot caused BOMBitis
-Cliff