Analysis of Airborne Illnesses and Prevention in Volkswagen Scandal

This report examines the link between the Volkswagen smog scandal and airborne illnesses, such as asthma, COPD, and lung cancer, caused by the company's emissions violations. It details the types of airborne illnesses, the role of air pollution, and the associated environmental health risks. The report then provides prevention tips, including technological solutions like zero-emission vehicles, proper vehicle maintenance, and responsible handling of materials. It also outlines safety measures for both customers and employees, emphasizing the importance of pollution prevention through various activities and protocols for managing hazardous materials. The report concludes by highlighting the need for collaborative efforts between engineers and the implementation of comprehensive strategies to mitigate the negative health impacts of air pollution and promote environmental responsibility.

II. Contamination Risks and Necessary Precautions
Airborne Illnesses
The Volkswagen smog scandal is strongly associated with air pollution and hence, this part of
the report will describe the airborne illnesses exposed to the affected public. The company
was trying to escape from following the minimum standards of carbon emissions and tried
misguiding official authorities and the public. Airborne illnesses are caused due to the
presence of pathogens in the air. These illnesses have considerable significance in veterinary
and human medicine. The significant pathogens can be fungi, bacteria, or viruses, and they
are spread by any activity which results in the generation of aerosol droplets or particles.
Types of Airborne Illnesses
The scandal of Volkswagen rose awareness related to the high emissions of pollution by
every diesel powered vehicles from a number of car manufacturers, while exceeding the legal
limits of emission under real-world driving conditions. Several airborne illnesses are listed as
follows (Barrett et al., 2015):
 Asthma: It is a disease that is caused as a result of air pollution mostly. Asthma is
defined as an occasionally debilitating, chronic inflammatory disease in the airways of
beings mainly due to air pollution from power plants, factories, and cars.
 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD): In COPD, an individual’ air sacs
an airways end up losing their shape while becoming floppy or distended. Common
forms of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
 Lung Cancer: It is categorized by unwanted triggered growth of abnormal cell in the
respiratory system of living beings. This results in the development of tumors and
impairment of the respiratory system.

It was reported by WHO in the year 2014 that a population of 7 million individuals died from
the exposure of air pollution. Air pollution is now among the biggest environmental health
risks faced by mankind and reduction of air pollution will help in saving a number of lives. It
is also necessary to note that there is a strong link between outdoor and indoor exposure of air
pollution and cardiovascular diseases like ischaemic heart diseases, strokes, and cancer. This
is apart from the role of air pollution in the establishment of respiratory diseases including
chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and acute respiratory infections (Burnett et al.,
2014). Every year, a large population of earth dies from these diseases and daily activities
related to transportation and logistics from cars and trucks is adding up to the cause. This is
enhancing the scope of air pollution all across the globe and hence, several prevention tips are
provided below in this report.
40
40
11
6 3
Outdoor Air Pollution-Caused Deaths: Division based on
Diseases
Ischaemic heart disease Stroke
COPD Lung Cancer
Acute Lower Respiratory Infections

Air Pollution Sources
Lead Particulates Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen Oxides Gaseous Hydrocarbons
Prevention Tips
In order to control automobile emissions, it is necessary for covering every technology
employed for the reduction of air pollution based emissions from automobiles. Volkswagen
must focus on conducting vehicle emissions control is the research conducted to reduce
emissions from motor vehicle specifically from their internal engines of combustion (Barrett
et al., 2015).
Suppliers
Vehicles with zero emission policies can be introduced such as hydrogen fuel cell electric
vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and battery electric vehicles. There can be use of
these technologies by Volkswagen for avoiding the scope of air pollution. Properly
maintaining control system not only results in the limitation of harmful emissions while
improving efficiency of fuel and performance of vehicle with the extension of its life. Care in
handling and storing gasoline along with additional solvents also results in the reduction of
evaporative losses across the atmosphere (Burnett et al., 2014).

Safety Measurements
The industrial engineers of Volkswagen should play a collaborative role with mechanical and
chemical engineers to develop industrial procedures for the prevention of pollution.
Additional topics to be taken into consideration are provided in the table below:
Required Activities for Pollution
Prevention
Decision analysis
Planning of facilities
Research on Operations
Control over production
Management of total quality
Budgeting of capital
Change management
Organizational design
Other basic tips that customers and users of automobiles can follow are stated below:
1. Show preference towards less driving and choosing other options of transportation
2. Show wise behavior while driving maintaining efficiency, and car maintenance
3. Choosing vehicles with fuel efficiency such as cleaner burning gasoline vehicles,
hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles.
Employee Measures
The company of Volkswagen can follow the below mentioned protocol to ensure safe
management, storage, and disposal of material involved in the process of car manufacturing.
Prevention tips must be applied by customers and the company.
Material Category of hazard About its storage Avoiding releases or
spills
Solvents and
degreasers
Degreasers consist
of solvents based on
chlorine and are
extremely hazardous
In the actual
container ensuring a
dry and cool location
Following
instructions
regarding the
appropriate
utilization for
avoiding any spills

Freon and CFCs These consist of
gases harmful for the
overall protective
ozone layer of the
earth
N/A Ensuring the
servicing of cars on
regular basis to
repair leaks, or any
other issue that
hinders smooth
running of the
vehicle
Lead acid and
batteries
Lead, by its very
nature, is an
extremely heavy and
toxic metal which
results in the
corrosion of battery
acid used in cars.
Straight in a leak-
proof, acid resistant
sturdy container.
Upright storage
while sturdily
placing leaking
batteries in leak
proof acid-resistant
containers.
Anti-freeze Consists of ethylene
glycol that has an
extremely toxic
nature with heavy
metals like lead.
In the actual plastic
packaging containers
Utilization of
sufficiently big fan
during the flush-out
of radiator while
repairing leaks
caused by the
radiator.
References
Barrett, S. R., Speth, R. L., Eastham, S. D., Dedoussi, I. C., Ashok, A., Malina, R., & Keith,
D. W. (2015). Impact of the Volkswagen emissions control defeat device on US public
health. Environmental Research Letters, 10(11), 114005.
Burnett, R. T., Pope III, C. A., Ezzati, M., Olives, C., Lim, S. S., Mehta, S., ... & Anderson,
H. R. (2014). An integrated risk function for estimating the global burden of disease
attributable to ambient fine particulate matter exposure. Environmental health
perspectives, 122(4), 397.