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Sep 24, 2012 2:05 PM

The major advancements in clean diesel technology have been highlighted in a new and unique study by the University of California-Riverside that found commercially cooked hamburgers emit more particulate matter than 2007-2010 model year clean-diesel trucks.

The UC-Riverside study was funded by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.  The study was first reported by CBS-TV Los Angeles.

“While the primary focus of this new study was on emissions from commercial charbroilers, this comparison clearly illustrates the significant improvements from clean diesel technology on California’s air quality.  In fact, the study also found that the particulate matter (PM) inventory from commercial cooking is more than double the inventory from heavy-duty diesel trucks.” said Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.        

“I will say this is an extremely unusual comparison.  Generally, clean diesels are matched up against natural gas, hybrids or electric vehicles for emissions or fuel efficiency tests.  This is the first time we’ve gone head-to-head against fast food,” Schaeffer said.

“But more of these kinds of comparisons are likely, especially In California, where clean diesel technology has been such a success story.  Today in California the majority of particulate emissions come from brake and tire wear, with diesel emissions making up small and declining fraction.”

“In the United States, emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses have been reduced by 99 percent for nitrogen oxides (NOx) - an ozone precursor - and particulate emissions. A key part of reducing emissions has been the shift to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel that has been available since 2006. This change in fuel specification reduced sulfur emissions by 97 percent – from 500 PM to 15 PM - and enables the use of advanced emissions control technologies. Similar advancements are taking place in off-road engines and machines,” Schaeffer said.

“Across the U.S. emissions of particulate matter from diesel engines are declining and make up less than six percent of all particulate emissions.

“Because of the investments in new technology it now takes 60 of today’s technology trucks to emit the same level of PM emissions as one truck built in 1988.  In addition, new farm tractors and construction equipment of all shapes and sizes are now at, or are moving toward, near-zero emissions for particulate matter.”