Time required for diesel fuel exhaust to disperse or evaporate 2

[neighbor lady]

I have a 1923 4 unit building with many doors and windows, the developer next door has placed a large 500 gallon diesel fuel generator 10 from the property line along with a 14 inch diesel fuel exhaust pipe directly horizontal and 15 from my second floor doors and windows , 10 feet from the property line, 12 feet up. The inspector says this is up to code so therefore it is safe. From what I have read this exhaust is highly toxic and hazardous to health. He says it will dissipate. From what I have read, it takes several hours to several days to dissipate. It will not take that long for these emissions to travel 15 feet and infiltrate my building before it dissipates.
Can anyone help me with this, it does not make sense. It also does not make sense that this is allowed per code books. The code treats a small home generator the same as a 500 gallon generator with the same recommendations of terminate at a safe point and 5 feet from doors and windows, which also does not make sense, the large unit will exhaust much more than a small one. I am thinking of appealing this decision. The picture shows the pipe with the orange cover on it, not finished, and the brown louvered box where I believe the fuel tanks are stored below in the basement.

 

[neighbor lady]

I am getting these monitors now and will start on this, I never knew to do this. THanks a million!

 

[rb1957]

it would be good to have something that records the results. If you write them down, they can always be questioned later.

"Hoffen wir mal, dass alles gut geht !"
General Paulus, Nov 1942, outside Stalingrad after the launch of Operation Uranus.

 

[rb1957]

even if you take a picture of the readings every day or (PITA) every hour

"Hoffen wir mal, dass alles gut geht !"
General Paulus, Nov 1942, outside Stalingrad after the launch of Operation Uranus.

 

[dik]

and look at the harm they have done in that time period.

"Diesel Vehicles Face a Grim Future in Europe’s Cities

Over the next decade, 24 European cities with a total population of 62 million people will ban diesel vehicles, and 13 of those cities will ban all internal combustion cars by 2030, according to Bloomberg News.

Already, Paris, Madrid, and Hamburg have placed limited bans on diesel vehicles, prompting consumers to desert diesel-powered cars in droves. In 2018, diesel car registrations fell 36 percent across Europe, and they have dropped by more than half since 2015. The exodus away from diesel vehicles has been driven not only by concerns over air pollution and climate change, but also public anger after officials disclosed in 2015 that Volkswagen had been rigging emissions tests to make its diesel vehicles look far cleaner than they actually were."

https://e360.yale.edu/digest/diesel-vehicles-face-a-grim-future-in-europes-cities

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[dik]

There may already be a bit of a baseline...

"Diesel engines have high efficiency, durability, and reliability together with their low-operating cost. These important features make them the most preferred engines especially for heavy-duty vehicles. The interest in diesel engines has risen substantially day by day. In addition to the widespread use of these engines with many advantages, they play an important role in environmental pollution problems worldwide. Diesel engines are considered as one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution caused by exhaust emissions, and they are responsible for several health problems as well. Many policies have been imposed worldwide in recent years to reduce negative effects of diesel engine emissions on human health and environment. Many researches have been carried out on both diesel exhaust pollutant emissions and aftertreatment emission control technologies. In this paper, the emissions from diesel engines and their control systems are reviewed. The four main pollutant emissions from diesel engines (carbon monoxide-CO, hydrocarbons-HC, particulate matter-PM and nitrogen oxides-NOx) and control systems for these emissions (diesel oxidation catalyst, diesel particulate filter and selective catalytic reduction) are discussed. Each type of emissions and control systems is comprehensively examined. At the same time, the legal restrictions on exhaust-gas emissions around the world and the effects of exhaust-gas emissions on human health and environment are explained in this study."

In addition, the particulate size is larger and may cause additional respiratory issues.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10098-014-0793-9

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[BridgeSmith]

In addition, the particulate size is larger and may cause additional respiratory issues.

From what I've read, the larger PM from diesel engines are less dangerous than the smaller particulates (such as those from gasoline engines, and smoke).

 

[dik]

The particulate is still small, but may be larger than regular petroleum.

"Diesel engine emissions, particularly particulate matter (PM), have been linked to various health concerns due to their small size. The particulate emissions from diesel engines are primarily composed of soot particles, which are less than 10 micrometers in diameter. These small particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing potential health issues.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has classified diesel exhaust as a potential occupational carcinogen, citing evidence from animal studies and limited human data. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has also classified diesel engine exhaust as a probable human carcinogen.

Studies have shown that exposure to diesel exhaust can lead to serious health conditions, including:

Respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Cardiovascular disease, including:
Heart attacks and strokes
Lung cancer
Premature death
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that diesel exhaust is responsible for approximately 20,000 premature deaths annually in Europe alone.

To mitigate these health concerns, various regulations and technologies have been implemented to reduce diesel emissions. These include:

Engine design improvements, such as fuel injection systems and combustion chamber designs
Aftertreatment systems, like diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems
Emissions standards, such as the Euro 6 standard in the European Union

In addition to these measures, research is ongoing to develop more effective emissions control strategies, including the use of advanced materials and technologies to reduce particulate emissions.

In summary, diesel engine emissions, particularly particulate matter, pose significant health concerns due to their small size and potential to be inhaled deep into the lungs. Efforts to reduce emissions and improve engine design are crucial to mitigating these health risks."

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[rb1957]

"The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that diesel exhaust is responsible for approximately 20,000 premature deaths annually in Europe alone." ... and what does WHO say about gasoline exhaust ?

No one is saying diesel is "safe" ... so safe that you could suck on an exhaust pipe (if you could handle the heat) but neither is it so toxic that the slightest whiff will send you to hospital (or the morgue). And this is not directed at the OP, who has a specific vulnerability.

In the past diesel was touted as "green gasoline", that was until VW's "dieselgate". I find it funny that over here (NA) at gas stations, the price of gasoline is in red and the price of diesel is green (to my mind a clear choice of colours, implying diesel is "green"), but in Europe it is the other way around.

Diesel is, AIUI, a more efficient form of IC engine. From wiki "The diesel engine has the highest thermal efficiency (engine efficiency) of any practical internal or external combustion engine due to its very high expansion ratio and inherent lean burn which enables heat dissipation by the excess air."

"Hoffen wir mal, dass alles gut geht !"
General Paulus, Nov 1942, outside Stalingrad after the launch of Operation Uranus.

 

[neighbor lady]

Diesel Gate was not for VW's, it was Dodge Ram pick ups here for 6 years Cummins represented their products in this industry as one thing and they were not. There are several posts on this on the internet, it is something an engineer would understand, but it was bad enough to get a 2 Billion(Billon) dollar fine. They were fined $2 Billion in January, 2024 by the EPA. The generator placed next door to me is a Cummins. Not very comforting that they would represent something that is not as they say. I think there is a place for this engines, but just not outside my windows, doors, and 15 feet from my patio.

 

[rb1957]

ok, but VW got "done" for the same thing, no?

"Hoffen wir mal, dass alles gut geht !"
General Paulus, Nov 1942, outside Stalingrad after the launch of Operation Uranus.

 

[neighbor lady]

It was reported VW and Dodge Rams 600,000 over a 6 year period recently, both were cited as vehicles wrapped up in this fraud they concealed.