The fineness of the air around us is referred as ‘air quality'.An area is considered having good air quality when prevailing air surrounding us is unpolluted. .Clean air is an integral requirement for all living beings on this planet. There are many parameters that develop poor air quality or pollute the air. The emissions from industries and vehicles used to play a significant role in pollution of the air.
The Clean Air Act provides the air quality in the local, state as well as the nation level. In fact, news reported that United Kingdom has found itself on the wrong direction of both law and science. Adding to the issue, the Supreme Court of the country has also pointed out the government failing to perform its legal duty to follow and ensure the air quality standards of EU. The health crisis needs to be tackled immediately based on the evidences collected. The health crisis needs to be tackled immediately based on the evidences collected.
Idling describes scenarios in which a vehicle’s engine is running while the vehicle is stopped. Although there are a variety of setups where individuals could idle an automobile, this habits can be extensively categorized into 3 domain names:
• Idling to warm up the engine,
• Idling while waiting for something unassociated to traffic,
• Idling during jammed traffic or signal lights.
The desirable time of idling has varied as vehicle's innovation has enhanced including cars, buses and so forth. The engines of new vehicles are equipped with fuel injection system, and these engines do not need to warm prior to driving and consequently it reduces idling as well as less consumption of energy.
Phenomena of School Bus Idling
One of the significant concerns that can be easily rectified is the school bus idling. It not only pollutes the air but wastes fuel, and results in health issues. The fine particles that are exhausted in idling can be easily breathed in and create respiratory issues, lung damages and even death. They also emit sufficient amounts of carbon mono oxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and other air pollutants that are toxic. Moreover, they create visibility issues. Thousands of premature deaths take place throughout the world every year due to these toxic pollutants.
These idling buses are a danger to children as these particulate matters and toxic pollutants easily enters school buildings through open windows. The carcinogen in the diesel exhaust cause cardiovascular issues and are one of the main reasons for acute health diseases. It has a severe effect on people with existing heart diseases, asthmatic issues, respiratory problems and bronchitis. Children, infants and even old aged people are at risk due to these carcinogens. As these school buses are around the school, and children's respiratory system is premature and under development, they are more susceptible to problems.
Policy Measures to Reduce Idling
Setting idle policy for school buses will work to minimize the pollution during idling and the policy should contain these basic guidelines:
- Wind direction is an important factor that should be taken into consideration as period allowed for positioning of the buses either parallel to the wind, so that the bus cabin can be kept at downwind, or perpendicular to the wind, where the cabin can be kept upwind of the exhaust pipe emissions. In addition, wind direction should be taken into consideration by generating wind rose diagram for parking of school buses during idling. Wind rose diagram can help to minimize the entrance of particulate matters into the school building through windows.
- Determine carbon footprint of differently sized buses. Carbon's footprints vary with capacity, model and condition of the vehicle during idling. Thus, the buses having minimum carbon footprints could be allowed idling for more than one minute, and idling time for rest of the buses be kept less than one minute.
- Every school body should define its own idling policy according to size and orientation of the school building.
- The buses should be kept apart from each other with stuffiest distance during idling .This policy reduce the accumulated concentration of pollutants
- Simulate the sources of pollution by modeling for effective idling policy.
Conclusion
Air quality in any country should be maintained as per recommendation of World Health Organization standards .The policies should ensure the safety of all living beings. Carcinogenic and other air pollutants have been the increasing reasons for various diseases and reasons behind respiratory failure leading to deaths. This prevailing scenario demands for new idling policy to ensure the reduction in pollution during idling. Wind rose; simulation of sources, carbon footprints and idling time should be considered while setting out effective policy. The concerned authorities have to focus on school buses idling to maintain the air quality by considering new parameters for school bus idling.
