STUDY: AIR QUALITY INSIDE SCHOOL BUSES IS WORSE THAN OUT

Children riding on school buses are breathing in more pollution than people standing out on the streets, a research team at the University of California, Berkeley, reported in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

"For every metric ton of pollution emitted by a school bus, the cumulative mass of pollution inhaled by the 40 or so kids on that bus is comparable to, or in many cases larger than, the cumulative mass inhaled by all the other people in an urban area," said team leader Julian Marshall.

He said, "Because so many children ride school buses, reducing the emissions of a school bus would give policymakers more bang for their buck than the same reduction of emissions from other diesel vehicles, such as an 18-wheeler or a construction truck."