engine of growth and pollution

Israel and other countries have been trying to reduce the health and environmental damage caused by diesel vehicles in recent years, but a new study reveals that despite all efforts we are still paying the high price of cheap diesel

By Racheli Vox, Angle, Science and Environment News Agency

Diesel engines are considered economically economical, but it has been known for a long time that they are a source of air pollution, a fact that led to the enactment of laws to limit the emission of these polluting substances in Israel and around the world. Yet, New research Reveals that despite the stricter regulations that have been established, the air pollution created by diesel vehicles is still great, and despite the careful tests that the car companies have to comply with, diesel engines emit about fifty percent more polluting compounds than they were supposed to emit according to the new regulations.

In the study, published in the leading journal Nature, 11 main car markets were examined, including the countries of the European Union, the United States, Russia and China, where approximately eighty percent of the sales of diesel vehicles in the world are carried out. It was found that in these markets a total amount of 13.2 million tons of nitrogen oxides (NO_X), gases that are one of the most common and serious sources of air pollution today. This amount is 4.6 million tons more than the amount expected according to the official laboratory tests that the car companies undergo, which is 8.6 million tons. According to the study, this excess emission was responsible for 38 premature deaths worldwide in 2015.

The excess in the amount of pollutants emitted may be due to several reasons. One possible reason is the as yet undisclosed deliberate use of "defeat devices" by the car companies, which distort the results of the tests so that they present lower amounts of pollutant emissions. Other possible reasons for the deviation may be the way the engine is calibrated, a technical failure in the vehicle, improper maintenance, deliberate changes made by the vehicle owners or problems in the pollutant testing process itself.

The Volkswagen scam

If the reason for the exception is indeed cheating on the part of the car companies, it would not be the first time. As a reminder, in September 2015 it was revealed that for about seven years the Volkswagen Group cheated on the pollutant emission tests it passed. Cheating software installed in the company's vehicles detected when the vehicle was under inspection, and accordingly directed the emission of nitrogen oxides to a lower level than that emitted in normal driving mode. The disclosure of the affair caused an uproar and caused the Volkswagen Group heavy losses.

"The diesel, which drives the diesel engines, is a less clean fuel than gasoline," explains Associate Professor Barak Fishbein from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Technion. "If the engines were ideal, all the fuel would be burned as a result of their operation, but that is not how they are made. Beyond that, after a certain period of time, if they are not properly maintained, the engines burn the diesel less effectively. As soon as this happens, the engine emits toxic substances into the air, in the form of nitrogen oxides and particles. Since the fuel is already prone to disasters due to being less clean, burning quickly becomes ineffective. It happens in older cars, but it can also happen to a new car that has done a lot of kilometers on the road and is not properly maintained."

The emission of pollutants from diesel engines was defined in 2012 by the World Health Organization as a factor Cancerous for sure And long-term exposure to these substances has been found to be associated withBoll בריאות variance, such as stroke, heart disease and respiratory problems.

No old diesel in Jerusalem

In parallel with the global trend, various actions are also being taken in Israel to reduce the use of diesel vehicles and their pollution are factors. The tax on diesel vehicles was increased due to the "green taxation" reform of 2010, which granted purchase tax benefits to cars according to the level of air pollution they emit, in order to encourage the purchase of cleaner and more environmentally friendly vehicles. As of 2016, there are approximately 453 diesel-powered vehicles in Israel, which make up 14 percent of all vehicles in the country. In addition, it was recently announced that starting in 2018, the government will ban old diesel vehicles from entering downtown Jerusalem, and will subsidize particle filters for old diesel vehicles whose owners are interested in continuing to come to the area after the regulations come into effect. This is after a plan in this spirit was also approved in Haifa, and as part of a similar move in large cities all over the world. According to Fishbein, even those who already own a diesel vehicle have something to do. "Air pollution can be reduced by reaching a state of optimal combustion of the diesel fuel in the engine. When it's time for treatment, you have to go to the garage and have it done, thus enabling continuous and better maintenance."

There is no doubt that the findings of the new study should lead to a rethinking of the use of polluting fuels and the possibility of leading a transition to the use of other energy sources in the field of transportation in Israel and around the world.