CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL DIESEL SMOKE STANDARD
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APLEA for an international standard for the control of diesel smoke was made by Dr. A. Parker, chairman of an air pollution Press conference held in London on Tuesday by the National Society for Clean Air.
Aim of the conference was to present a report by the Society on "Air Pollution from Vehicles" which says: "There would be even more diesel smoke on the roads than at present if all diesel engines were set to the level permitted by a forthcoming British Standards Specification."
The Society recommended, said Dr. Parker, that diesel engines should be derated 10 per cent below the power produced at the stipulated smoke level—in line with London Transport practice. This would make due allowance for wear and tear.
Although the smoke from diesel engines contained relatively little carbon monoxide and was not a hazard to health, it was an irritant and had a high obscuration value.
Comparing petrol and diesel engines, Dr. Parker said that in this country last year petrol-engined vehicles discharged 5m tons of carbon monoxide. The discharge of this gas from diesel engines was only 80,000 tons.
The Society urges the MoT to produce a regulation giving the acceptable limit of CO emission from petrol engines.
The average in this country is 3.5 per cent; in 1968 the limit in America will be 1.5 per cent for engines of 2.31 or higher capacity, 1.6 per cent for units of 1.6/2.31.