You might not realize it when you park behind a bus or you watch your kids stand at their bus stop, but both you and your children are probably exposed to diesel exhaust daily. Diesel exhaust is the pollution that comes out of a bus’s tailpipes, and it contains more than 40 toxic air contaminants, including arsenic, benzene and formaldehyde. It irritates eyes and skin from short term exposure, and it is known to cause cancer from long term exposure. It can especially impact children, as diesel exhaust damages developing lungs.
The latest research shows us a good way to reduce our children’s exposure to harmful pollutants in diesel exhaust: electrifying school buses.
Because children are smaller, breathe more air, are more active, and are still growing, we now understand that our kids are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution. One of the single largest sources of air pollution impacting children is school buses, and the science showing a connection between poor student health and exposure to school bus exhaust is mounting.
Diesel buses emit fine and ultrafine particles, which are associated with respiratory, cardiovascular and, now, neurological diseases. The particles’ small size and relatively large surface area allow a number of chemicals to “piggyback” on them — so when you’re breathing in diesel exhaust, you’re putting sulfates, nitrates, heavy metals such as lead or arsenic, and other trace elements into your body. These chemicals are all connected to poor health. In fact, diesel exhaust has recently been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
One study published in Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts found that school buses contribute significantly to background levels of pollution and, more importantly, that communities can take action to reduce these threats. Anti-idling campaigns (where school buses are forced to cut their engines while standing still) decrease levels of pollution around schools, especially if the school has 11 or more buses. This study from the University of Cincinnati found an example of school buses increasing the concentrations of pollution around a public junior high school between two-to-five-fold (depending on the month).
And to be clear, children are suffering from these pollutants.
Diesel Exhaust has been shown to make asthma worse, as confirmed in this study conducted by the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Another study, centered around public schooling in Georgia found that retrofitting buses to decrease exhaust increases test scores among students. This website explains the results of this study well, and another study confirming the same trend was also done in Salt Lake City.
The bottom line is this: electrifying school buses will improve children’s health and improve school performance by getting rid of diesel emissions. To begin making a change in your community, the EPA Diesel Exhaust Reduction Act (DERA) provides grants that cover 100% of project costs for retrofitting eligible school buses and protecting children’s lungs. This website provides information about how to apply, applications are due March 16th, 2021.
If you want to take action, Mothers & Others For Clean Air has compiled this fact sheet to present easy-to-read and important information. Reach out to your school board members, local officials, and school administrators — we encourage you to use and share this important information in your communities.
