Why am I being warned about potential exposure to diesel engine exhaust?
- Diesel engine exhaust is on the Proposition 65 list.
- California’s Proposition 65 requires businesses to warn people before exposing them to a significant amount of a chemical listed under Proposition 65 for cancer or reproductive toxicity.
What is diesel engine exhaust?
- Diesel engine exhaust is produced when engines, including those in vehicles and generators, burn diesel fuel.
- It is a mixture of thousands of chemicals released as gases or particles (soot).
- More than 40 chemicals listed for cancer are present in diesel engine exhaust. These include benzene, arsenic, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, lead, and numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (a class of chemicals created by burning fuels and other substances).
How does exposure to diesel engine exhaust occur?
- Exposure occurs by breathing in air containing diesel engine exhaust. Sources include diesel-powered motor vehicles, ships, trains, generators, and other diesel-powered equipment.
- Exposure also occurs through contact with diesel engine gases and exhaust particles, which may be absorbed through the skin or unintentionally ingested. These contaminants may:
- Be present on the surface of diesel-powered vehicles and equipment.
- Enter vehicles, homes, and other structures, where they can settle on surfaces and be absorbed into dust particles.
Main ways you can be exposed to diesel engine exhaust:
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- During pregnancy, some chemicals in diesel engine exhaust can pass from mother to baby.
How can I reduce my exposure to diesel engine exhaust?
- Always start and operate a diesel engine in a well-ventilated area.
- Avoid breathing in diesel engine exhaust. Whenever practical, do not stand next to operating diesel engines.
- Avoid idling diesel engine vehicles, where possible.
- Do not use diesel-powered engines in enclosed spaces.
- Do not modify or tamper with a diesel engine’s exhaust system.
- Install backup and portable diesel-powered generators well away from your home so that exhaust does not come in through open windows and doors.
- Consider replacing diesel-powered engines with alternatives such as engines powered by natural gas, propane, or electricity.
- Perform regular maintenance and frequent tune-ups of all diesel-powered equipment.
- When servicing or maintaining diesel-powered engines, prevent skin contact with exhaust by wearing gloves. Wash your hands when done, and before preparing food or eating.
- California restricts the use of certain types of diesel-powered vehicles. You can learn more about statewide diesel regulations from the California Air Resources Board.
For more information:
General Fact Sheets and Resources
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
California Air Resource Board (CARB) - Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
- Biomonitoring California
- American Cancer Society (ACS)
Scientific Information on Diesel Engine Exhaust
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) - World Health Organization (WHO)
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)- IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, vol. 105 (2014). "Diesel and Gasoline Engine Exhausts" in Diesel and Gasoline Engine Exhausts and Some Nitroarenes, pages 37-467.
Proposition 65
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)- Proposition 65: Background
- Proposition 65: The List of Chemicals
- Proposition 65: Fact Sheets
Related Chemical(s)
Related Product or Place
References
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