Isn particulate material (PM) air pollution just a diesel problem?
Particulate material (PM) air pollution (soot) is known to cause grave environmental and human health consequences including acid rain, smog, cancer, asthma, respiratory disease and increased mortality. Due to the implementation of the catalytic converter in the 1970’s, today’s gasoline-powered vehicles do not expel a clearly visible, black (diesel-like) cloud of pollution. Although automobile exhaust is mostly invisible to the human eye, it is actually comprised of millions of microscopic particles of unburned fuel, which are easily ingested, undetected and retained by the human body. The smaller the particle size (less than 2.5 in diameter), the more detrimental they are to human health. These particles embed in human lungs where they cause asthma, lung damage, respiratory disease and premature death, especially in young children. New data shows that PM emissions from modern gasoline cars equal or exceed diesel PM emissions.
