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Biodiesel, a renewable diesel fuel that can be created from almost any natural fat or oil, is promoted as a greener and healthier alternative to commercial mineral diesel without the supporting experimental data to back these claims. The aim of this research was to assess the health effects of acute exposure to two types of biodiesel exhaust, or mineral diesel exhaust or air as a control in mice.
Plastic pyrolysis oil, which can be produced with similar properties as diesel fuel (plastic diesel), can be used as an alternative to mineral diesel (ULSD) to run a diesel engine. This presents a potential method for recycling waste plastic. Typically plastic diesel is blended with mineral diesel, and oxygenated fuel additives such as ethers added to improve resulting fuel properties.
Emerging data suggest that air pollution is a persistent source of neuroinflammation, reactive oxygen species, and neuropathology that contributes to central nervous system disorders. Previous research using animal models has shown that exposure to diesel exhaust causes considerable disruption of the blood-brain barrier, leading to marked neuroinflammation.
Dr Katherine Alexander Landwehr Larcombe BSc(Hons) BScEnv (Hons) PhD Senior Research Officer Honorary Research Fellow Katherine.landwehr@