Lok Sabha Question No. 2508 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-01
Subject: Emission of Nano Carbon Particles
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC

## AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2508

(To BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2018)

## EMISSION OF NANO CARBON PARTICLES

## 2508. SHRIMATI PRATYUSHA RAJESHWARI SINGH:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of a study which revealed that the CNG buses emit nano carbon particles which can cause cancer;
- if so, the details thereof; and
- the remedial measures takenlto be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) Yes, Madam. CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun in collaboration with University of Alberta; Canada in 2011-2012 conducted a study on 2 CNG and 2 Diesel buses on road to measure the particulate emissions under real world driving conditions:
- (b) Both CNG buses as well as one diesel bus were tested in Calgary; Canada while the second diesel bus was tested in Dehradun, India. The results of this study were published (Ref: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Internal Combustion Engines 2014, ICICE8-A-11-655-1): It was seen that the CNG buses produce about 200 times less particles than diesel buses not equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) while they produce 35 times more particles than the diesel bus equipped with Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF): The toxicity study of particles emitted by diesel or CNG buses was not conducted and no comments can thus be offered on their health impacts including cancer:

Third party documents in public domain (Annexure-I) suggest that toxicity of particles emitted by diesel or CNG vehicles need to be evaluated depending on a number of factors such as, but not limited the source to, fuel quality, engine characteristics and driving conditions:

- No toxic study on particulate emissions to understand the health impacts was conducted by CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP); Dehradun. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has been putting in place from time to  time, the desired interventions to control vehicular pollution:

## Annexure-

- 1 Norman Y Kado, et. al,, "Emissions of Toxic Pollutants from Compressed Natural Gas and Low Sulfur Diesel-Fueled Heavy-Duty Transit Buses Tested over Multiple Driving Cycles' Environ. Sci. Technol , 2005, 39 (19) , pp 7638-7649.
- 2 Liisa Pirjola, et al., "Physical and Chemical Characterization of Real-World Particle Number and Mass Emissions from City Buses in Finland' 304.
- 3\_ Pratim Biswas, et al., "Nanoparticles and the Environment" Journal of the Air & Waste Management; Vol. 55, 2005, Issue 6, pages 708-746.
- 4 . Britt A. Holmen, et. al., "Ultrafine PM Emissions from Natural Gas, Oxidation-Catalyst Diesel, and Particle-Trap Diesel Heavy-Duty Transit Buses' Environ: Sci  Technol , 2002 , 36 (23) , pp 5041-5050.
- Antonietta Zoroddu, et al\_ "Toxicity of Nanoparticles' Current Medicinal Chemistry , Volume 21, Number 33, November 2014, pp. 3837-3853(17).