Mapping Diesel Exhaust Pollution

State-level maps of fine particulates from diesel trucks and buses

Published Mar 14, 2022 Updated Aug 29, 2022

Trucks on highway
Wendell Franks/iStock

Soot and smog from diesel truck and bus engines are hazardous to breathe in.

They can exacerbate heart and lung diseases, increase risk of cancers, and even lead to premature death. These risks are often concentrated around ports, freight hubs, and high traffic highway corridors, adding to the cumulative impacts of other environmental and socioeconomic risks that disproportionately impact communities of color.

Adopting electric trucks and buses is part of the solution to diesel pollution, but must be accompanied by targeted actions to guarantee pollution reductions in the communities that need it the most. This can include creating local ordinances for low- or no-emissions zones, replacing and retrofitting existing diesel equipment in environmental justice communities, or targeting emissions reductions measures in freight hotspots. An equitable and sustainable transportation system is one that provides clean air for all.

This page contains multiple state-level reports featuring maps of modeled diesel pollution to help you understand its uneven geography and how certain communities are hit the hardest when advocating for cleaner air.

Download methodology.

Report
Parkway in Connecticut

Diesel Pollution in CT

Exhaust from diesel trucks and buses is a leading source of harmful air pollution that sends Connecticut residents to the hospital every year.
Report
Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Annapolis, MD

Diesel pollution in MD

Exhaust from diesel trucks and buses is a leading source of harmful air pollution that sends Delaware residents to the hospital every year.
Report
Traffic near the intersection of Atlantic Ave. in Boston, MA

Diesel Pollution in MA

Exhaust from diesel trucks and buses is a leading source of harmful air pollution that sends Massachusetts residents to the hospital every year.
Report
Skateboarder in Brooklyn, NY

Diesel Pollution in NY

Exhaust from diesel trucks and buses is a leading source of harmful air pollution that sends New Yorkers to the hospital every year.
Report
Downtown Providence, Rhode Island

Diesel pollution in RI

Exhaust from diesel trucks and buses is a leading source of harmful air pollution that sends Rhode Island residents to the hospital every year.
Report
Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District, Main St. and adj. areas bet. Kratzer Ave., and Grace St. Harrisonburg

Diesel pollution in VA

Exhaust from diesel trucks and buses is a leading source of harmful air pollution that sends Virginia residents to the hospital every year.

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