Researchers say governments need to move with “urgency” to transition 3,900 school buses in Atlantic Canada from combustion to electric to avoid further health problems in children

A team of researchers from Atlantic Canada are sounding the alarm on the health toll of combustion school buses on the province’s most vulnerable population.

There are roughly 3,900 school buses in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick transporting around 215,000 children every day. For the overwhelming majority of underage riders, each bus trip could represent over half of the daily Health Canada-recommended exposure limit to CO2.

“Currently, it is estimated roughly $126 million is spent in Atlantic Canada on health issues related to traffic emissions each year…These costs are projected to rise if traffic emissions continue to increase, highlighting the urgent need for accelerated adoption of electric vehicles to mitigate these impacts,” reads the Driving Towards a Healthier Future report, co-authored by Ecology Action Canada, NB Lung and the Canadian Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

“Fuel buses emit fumes that have significant health impacts, particularly on children. Removing diesel, gasoline, and propane buses from the road removes a large source of health risk to our students, bus drivers, and community members.”

Exceeding daily totals

Previous studies from the United States found elevated levels of emissions generated by combustion school buses. Notably, the emissions inside the school bus are significantly higher than those outside the bus.

The Atlantic Canada report is the most recent update to the emission levels experienced by Canadian children.

“In August of 2024, our teams collaborated to measure the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air of a 2022 gasoline-fueled school bus while simulating real school routes and idling experiences,” reads the report.

“We were able to determine that the concentration of CO2 inside the bus while on the school routes (518ppm) was significantly higher than when the bus was idling (441ppm).”

Health Canada recommends a daily CO2 exposure limit of 1000 ppm. This means that riding the bus to school and back would exceed the recommended daily limit.

“The transition to electric school buses represents a critical step toward improving both environmental and public health,” concludes the report.

Health at stake

The consequences of elevated CO2 emission exposure can be extreme.

The Atlantic Canada report notes that several health concerns include:

• Lung and heart diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and hypertension);
• Increased risk of cancer (lung, leukemia and breast);
• Increased sensitivity to allergies;
• Increased risk of Type-2 diabetes;
• Increased risk of degenerative neurological diseases (Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) and ALS); and
• Increased risk of anxiety and depression due to noise exposure.

“Children under 16 are more susceptible to health risks from poor air quality compared to adults. Children’s lungs are small, still developing, and have a higher
respiration rate, creating a higher exposure to pollution than adults, accounting for their size difference,” summarizes the report.

“This means that when a child inhales, a larger percentage of their small lungs is exposed to the particles in the air.”

Taking action

Based on the findings, the report authors urge urgent action from the four Atlantic provincial governments to transition the school bus fleet.

Currently, there are 129 electric school buses in Atlantic Canada with 107 of them in operation in Prince Edward Island and 22 in New Brunswick.

Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have no electric buses.

“The risk of exposure from school-bus commuting and drop off can be all but eliminated by transitioning the bus fleets to electric,” reads the report.

“The urgency of adopting electric school buses is underscored by the increasing costs of healthcare associated with traffic emissions and the growing public concern about environmental and health impacts. With a significant portion of Canadians supporting the transition to electric buses and recognizing their benefits, there is a clear mandate for action.”