Aji Bhaskar 1

Sachin Aji Bhaskar

Jonathan Lehtonen

ESL 015, Section 019

10 April, 2015

Airpocalypse in India

India’s air quality has been decreasing in recent years and has become a topic of major

concern for the country and its citizens. According to Syed Nazakat (2015) researchers at World

Health Organization (WHO) found that 13 out of the 20 most polluted cities are located in India,

making it the worst country in the world for air quality. It was also found through a recent joint

study from the University of Chicago, Harvard, and Yale, that air pollution and PM2.5, which

stands for particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, is the cause for the decline in

life expectancy in India (Nazakat, S. 2015). In a collective study by SA Rizwan, Baridalyne

Nongkynrih, and Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, as the use of vehicles increased, there was an increase in

levels of lead content in blood, which is considered “a potential risk factor for abnormal mental

development in children” (2013). Similar to their study, Durgesh Nandan Jha (2014) states that

the Professor of Oncology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. P. K. Julka, warns us

that the pollutants released as a byproduct from vehicles contain chemical carcinogens, such as

benzene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic hydrocarbon, which makes the people more prone to

lung cancer (Jha, D. N. 2014).

In order to solve this problem, according to Jayashree Nandi (2015), The International

Council of Clean Transportation (ICCT) has suggested that India leapfrog to Euro VI standards

in 2020 rather than aiming for Euro V. ICCT has also supported this proposition of Euro VI

being a better alternative as “its air quality and public health benefits far exceed costs and fully

justify the investment in producing ultra-low-content sulfur fuel" and “will have greater

Aji Bhaskar 2

economic benefits in terms of lives protected from pollution-related health impacts” (Nandi, J.

2015). There are various other solutions such as encouraging the use of electric cars by giving

subsidies for those who take this initiative, implementing taxes for diesel vehicles and making

public transport easily and cheaply available for all citizens. However I will focus on the

regulation of Euro VI standards due to its high benefit-cost ratio.

The Euro VI standards are a stringent set of legislations created by the European

Commission to be followed for a significant decrease in the emission of particles that cause a lot

of air pollution such as CO, HC, PM, and NOx, by stating maximum values for what is allowed

to come out of the exhaust. These standards are similar to both petrol and diesel vehicles. The

Euro VI standards bring about a large reduction in pollutants such as 99% reduction in PM and

97% reduction in NOx by choosing from a variety of available technological advancements.

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is a system by which intake air, which contains 80 percentage

nitrogen is recycled with exhaust gas, in turn reducing the amount of nitrogen available to be

oxidized to NOx during reduced temperature combustion. The second system is the Diesel

Particulate Filter (DPF) or Diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC). The diesel particulate filter reduces

more than 90% of the PM and includes large ultra-fine particle and black carbon reducers.

(“Euro emission standards, Progressively tighter exhaust emissions limits to improve air quality

and health”, 2014)

In addition, these systems are not used more frequently but are a part of this regulation.

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) can be implemented which uses an additive containing

urea, which is injected into the exhaust for conversion of NOx into pure nitrogen and water.

Another fluid called cerium could also be injected into the fuel tank to aid the DPF by lowering

the temperature needed for regeneration. Lastly, an improvement in Engine’s Onboard

Aji Bhaskar 3

Diagnostic (OSD) system and World Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), to

monitor the engines exhaust treatment and signal any fault to the vehicle operator, are in this

regulation. (“Euro emission standards, Progressively tighter exhaust emissions limits to improve

air quality and health”, 2014)

The International Council of Clean Transportation suggests that greater air quality

benefits can be acquired by leapfrogging from Euro IV to Euro VI rather than trying Euro V

standards too. This skip toward Euro VI fuel has two benefits for air quality, according to ICCT.

Firstly, there could be a reduction of more than 90% PM2.5 emissions due to the use of DPFs, and

there is a realistic reduction in NOx emissions of almost 95% created by the new test cycle and

in-service conformity requirements, tackling the Euro V problem of emission control in urban

areas. Secondly, light-duty Euro VI standards which adopt stringent emission limits, by moving

to the WLTP and Portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) testing, to ensure conformity

to standards in real-life driving conditions, promising a similar reduction in NOx from diesel cars.

(“Accelerating progress from Euro4/IV to Euro6/VI vehicle emission standards”, 2015)

Now let us look into two real-life examples of how emission reduction technologies and

standards enforcement helped aid in improving their air quality. The Mexico Center for

Sustainable Transport (CTS-Mexico), with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Resources Institute,

organized a pilot bus retrofit program, where twenty working buses were retrofitted with either a

diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) or a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and fuel usage changed to

ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. The U.S. EPA has confirmed that there was a reduction of 90% in

PM, 85% in CO, and 90% hydrocarbons by using DPF and a reduction of 20% in PM, 40% in

CO, and 50% in hydrocarbons by using DOC. These two systems i.e. DPF and DOC are an

Aji Bhaskar 4

integral part of the Euro VI standards. (“Cleaning up Urban Bus Fleets With a focus on

developing and transition countries”, 2009)

A similar bus retrofit program was initiated in China from November 2005 to December

2007, where they fitted DOCs and different types of DPFs on buses to see the result on

installation. They concluded that there was a conversion efficiency between 3.5 to 22% for PM

reduction by using an on-board emission measurement system for the DOCs on the Euro I and

Euro II buses. These realistic world-wide examples show that these small experiments which

together could be seen as parts of the Euro VI standards have been tested and been given positive

results for reduction in air pollutants (“Cleaning up Urban Bus Fleets With a focus on developing

and transition countries”, 2009).

One challenge for adopting the Euro VI standards is the cost effectiveness. However this

challenge can be overcome by doing a cost-benefit analysis, which has been done by the ICCT.

The movement toward using eco-friendly fuels and cleaner vehicles will certainly result in high

money investment. According to the ICCT prediction for 2025, the net cost for cleaner vehicles

and fuels would be $14.5 billion for the World Class scenario, which is the implementation of

Euro VI standards by 2017 along with low-sulfur fuel all over India by 2015. However, the

health benefits under the same scenario are estimated to be $43.8 billion, which shows that

benefits are greater than costs. This would be economically preferred for the countries as the net

cost would drop due to economies of scale, while benefits increase exponentially. (Bansal G. and

Bandivadekar A., 2013)

From these statistics it is clear that total benefits and benefit/cost ratio increase with time

due to the advantages of cleaner and eco-friendly fuels in vehicles with the reduction of air

pollution increasing as well. The World Class program may have high initial costs. However,

Aji Bhaskar 5

this experiment conducted by ICCT shows that the anticipated benefits dominate the costs, which

can be the main reason why Euro VI standards should be implemented as soon as possible.

(Bansal G. and Bandivadekar A., 2013)

Numerous measures and programs have been implemented in India to reduce emission by

tightening the standards of fuels and restrictions on automobile emission. These measures have

been used to enhance the removal of pollutants such as PM and NOx for the increase in air

cleanliness, public health and quality of life. While these upgrades and technologies for

following the Euro VI standards such as DPF, DOC, SCR, OSD, and WLTP have inevitably high

costs accompanied with them, benefits such as cutting down on premature mortality, increased

agricultural yields and climate change mitigation, outpower them.

Aji Bhaskar 6

References

Accelerating progress from Euro4/IV to Euro6/VI vehicle emission standards (2015, March) The

International Council On Clean Transportation. Retrieved from

http://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/ICCT_EuroVI_briefing_20150304.

pdf

Bansal G. and Bandivadekar A. (2013) The International Council On Clean Transportation.

OVERVIEW OF INDIA’S VEHICLE EMISSIONS CONTROL PROGRAM, PAST

SUCCESSES AND FUTURE PROSPECTS. Retrieved from

http://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/ICCT_IndiaRetrospective_2013.pd

f

Chakravartty A. (2015, Mar 11) DowEuro V standard has failed to curb pollutants: experts.

Retrieved from http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/euro-v-standard-has-failed-curb-

pollutants-experts

Cleaning up Urban Bus Fleets With a focus on developing and transition countries (2009,

September) United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved from

http://www.unep.org/transport/pcfv/PDF/Retrofit.pdf

Aji Bhaskar 7

Euro emission standards, Progressively tighter exhaust emissions limits to improve air quality

and health (2014, Dec 15) The AA. Retrieved from

https://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuels-and-environment/euro-emissions-

standards.html

Jha, D. N. (2014, Dec 5). Air pollution affecting even foetal growth. Retrieved from

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Air-pollution-affecting-

even-foetal-growth/articleshow/45379136.cms

Nandi, J. (2015, Mar 18) 'India must leapfrog to Euro VI as benefits outweigh costs' Retrieved

from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/India-must-

leapfrog-to-Euro-VI-as-benefits-outweigh-costs/articleshow/46602975.cms

Nazakat, S. (2015, Mar 01). Air in Delhi is world's worst, 13 other Indian cities aren't far

behind. The Christian Science Monitor .Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1658942070?accountid=13158

Rizwan, S., Nongkynrih, B., & Gupta, S. K. (2013). Air pollution in Delhi: Its magnitude and

effects on health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine: Official Publication of Indian

Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 38(1), 4-8.

Walsh, P.M. (2012, July) The International Council For Clean Transportation. Reducing Air

Pollution from Buses and Commercial Vehicles. Retrieved from

http://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/Walsh_Bangalore_july2012.pdf