Electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations pose a health threat to motorists, attracting significantly higher levels of pollution in a concentrated area, according to a new study in the US.
The UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) research found air around EV fast-charging stations carried double the levels of fine particulate matter – linked to terminal illnesses – than typical ‘background’ amounts.
“For anyone, exposure to fine particles can contribute to health issues, and for those with existing conditions or heightened sensitivity, the risks are even greater,” said study co-author, Michael Jerrett, professor in UCLA Fielding’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences.
“Because these particles are so small, they can travel deep into your lungs and even enter your bloodstream, potentially leading to serious problems like heart or lung disease.”
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The study examined air quality including particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, at 50 DC fast-charging (DCFC) stations across different brands and owners across 47 cities in Los Angeles County, California.
“In Los Angeles, the urban background PM 2.5 is seven to eight micrograms per cubic metre. Urban traffic sites in L.A., like freeways or busy intersections, range around 10 to 11. We measured a few gas stations at about 12. Fast chargers average 15, and sometimes peaked as high as 200,” said UCLA environmental health professor Yifang Zhu.
“We measured at different distances from the chargers. The high measurements [15-200] were taken at the chargers’ power cabinets. Fortunately, a few metres away, the concentrations drop quite a bit. A few hundred metres away, there’s no noticeable difference compared to background levels of pollution,” said Professor Zhu.
Yet the study’s lead author, UCLA Fielding scholar Yuan Yao, said findings do not point the finger at EVs themselves but at the charging equipment.
“Our findings suggest that these tiny particles likely come from particle resuspension around the DCFC’s power cabinets. These cabinets convert electricity from the grid into the direct current needed to charge electric vehicle batteries,” said Yuan Yao.
“The cabinets also contain cooling systems to prevent the electronics from overheating, and these cooling fans can stir up dust and particles from internal surfaces. That’s what we think might be one of the reasons for the increased pollutant levels we found.”
The study notes a few engineering tweaks to the power cabinets might fix this issue, including filters in the air inlet to prevent particulate matter from entering the unit, as well as filters to prevent resuspended particles from re-entering the atmosphere.
It also suggests DCFC stations should be placed at a distance from schools, nursing homes and densely populated residential areas, and for further studies to be conducted to investigate the toxicity of these particles.
California has more than 10,000 fast-charging stations, the most of any US state, and more than double the next-best Texas.
The number of fast charging stations in Australia has tripled to more than 300 in the past two years, with Tesla – which opened the largest station in the Southern Hemisphere in New South Wales earlier this month – operating around one third of them.
Avoiding the higher levels of fine particulate matter is relatively simple, however.
“The main concern is for EV drivers,” said Professor Zho.
“When they charge their car at a fast charger, they’re exposed to elevated levels of harmful particulate matter. But they can mitigate their exposure by being inside their car running the climate system, or by going indoors or to a nearby open space.”
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