School Bus In-Cabin Particulate Matter Quantification and Reduction
Strategies and Associated Risk Assessment

NJDEP Project Manager: Linda J. Bonanno, Ph.D., Research Scientist
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Science
PO Box 409 Trenton, NJ 08625-0409

Principle Investigator: David Martinez-Morett, Robert P. Hesketh, Anthony Marchese,
and Krishan Bhatia.
Engineering College, Rowan University,
201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro NJ, 08028

There will be an estimated 18,000 buses transporting children to and from school in 2009 (Personal communication, NJDEP Diesel Reduction Program, 1/2008). It is estimated that approximately 800,000+ New Jersey children will be on those buses, the majority of which have diesel engines. It is estimated that, on average, each of these children spends 1 ½ hours per school day on a school bus.

The intent of Public Law 2005, c.219, signed on Sept 7, 2005, was to reduce diesel emissions in New Jersey. As part of that legislation, the NJDEP was charged with conducting research to (1) evaluate the relative contribution of emissions from both the crankcase and the tailpipe to in-cabin levels of fine particles in school buses; and (2) evaluate the feasibility, and the environmental and health benefits of, the reduction of fine particle levels from school bus tailpipe emissions through the use of additional retrofit devices. This study was undertaken in response to that charge. The study was carried out by Rowan University (Martinez-Morett D., et al., 2009) in collaboration with the NJDEP Division of Science, Research, and Technology (DSRT) now known as Office of Science.

Peer Review Comments

• Yifang Zhu, Ph.D., Texas A & M University
• Philip K. Hopke, Ph.D., Clarkson University

Understanding the Results of Emissions Control School Bus Study

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