Study on clean diesel technology affirms near-zero emissions

(January 27, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Diesel Technology Forum today reported the findings of the multi-year Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) conducted by the Boston-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) on clean diesel technology.

The study concluded that exposure to new technology diesel exhaust does not cause any increase in the risk of lung cancer or other significant adverse health effects in study animals.

HEI conducted the independent study to determine whether diesel engines achieved the expected emissions reductions, thereby improving air quality for public health, as well as whether the new technologies resulted in any unintended increases in emission components. 

“The significance of this study and its conclusions cannot be overstated,” said Allen Schaeffer, the executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.  “The results of this new study verify the environmental benefits of the new clean diesel technology, which have near-zero emissions for nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter (PM). 

"And while this study focused on heavy duty truck emissions, the new clean diesel technology has the potential for impacting all sectors, including passenger cars, agriculture, construction, maritime and transportation.

“The comprehensive nature of this study by such an authoritative body as the Health Effects Institute is extremely significant.  It’s also important to highlight that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Air Resources Board, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration are sponsors of this study in conjunction with the manufacturers of emissions control equipment.”

“The findings of the ACES study are extremely important because diesel engines are the technology of choice that drives 15 sectors of the global economy―from agriculture to goods movement, from construction to warehousing,” Schaeffer said.  “Clean diesel technology is virtually the power behind America’s domestic and global goods movement.

“In the U.S., clean diesel technology in highway truck engines is increasingly embraced by the commercial trucking sector.  Today, more than one-third of all commercial trucks on the road are powered with 2007 generation or newer engines which have reduced particulate matter and NOx emissions by 98 percent compared to 1988 vehicles.  In some states, the percentage of new technology diesel engine-equipped trucks exceeds 50 percent.

“This means that the clean air benefits from these clean diesel engines are being experienced in communities throughout the country.”

ACES is a cooperative multi-party effort managed in a coordinated manner by two well-respected non-profit science-based organizations, the Health Effects Institute (HEI) and the Coordinating Research Council (CRC). The overall effort has been guided by an ACES Steering Committee, which is advisory to HEI and CRC.

It includes representatives of the U.S. EPA, U.S. Department of Energy, California Air Resources Board, American Petroleum Institute, National Resources Defense Council, National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, Engine Manufacturers, Emission Control Manufacturers, the Petroleum Industry and others. Most importantly, the ACES effort has been guided by an independent Oversight Committee comprised primarily of academic scientists. This independent Oversight Committee had a central role in the design of the ACES study.

“Diesel technology has undergone a complete transformation in recent years, first, with a move to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in 2006 that reduced the fuel’s sulfur content by 97 percent,” Schaeffer said. “This cleaner fuel then enabled refinements in engine technology and the use of emission controls and reduction strategies that are now deployed throughout a wide range of industry, engines and technology.