Although DE-BUG was initially designed to prevent and cure microbial contamination or diesel bug in diesel, it has achieved an impressive record of reducing exhaust emissions.
Reduced Emissions
Europe
A number of trials in Europe have demonstrated that DE-BUG units reduce harmful emissions. In Holland a BMW 324 – displayed a 33% reduction and a Mercedes Truck – 50% reduction while on smaller private vehicles emissions were reduced by 24%.
Latin America
Tests undertaken in Latin America by the University of Technology Panama showed a 20% reduction on Detroit Diesel with low emissions. Electro Inyeccion Diesel Chu S. A. showed a 10% reduction on a Nissan Patrol.
Panama Canal
Panama Canal engineers, before the Canal passed to Panamanian administration, installed DE-BUG diesel purifiers on some essential equipment to ensure minimum maintenance problems for its new owners.
TITAN – Once the largest floating crane in the world, and of considerable historic interest, suffered serious emissions problems from the time the Canal took delivery of it in Long Beach, California. Severe restrictions were imposed on its delivery crew by California’s Environmental Protection Authority.
The crane engines could only be started with special permission because the old EMD engines emitted clouds of black smoke. Once in Panama, the engines were rebuilt, but the problem of black smoke persisted and the engines also suffered from blow-by.
Four DE-BUG L1000 Diesel Purifiers were fitted – two to each engine. The Crane now operates with virtually no smoke. The problem of blow-by was also corrected.
Malaysia
Similar trials were also undertaken in Malaysia on a Mitsubishi truck. Exhaust gases were monitored before and after the truck was serviced. Subsequently a De-Bug unit was fitted and the exhaust was monitored on a regular basis. The results indicated that smoke emissions were reduced by 30% compared with immediately after the first service. No improvement in emissions occured after the second service. This demonstrated that the De-Bug unit reduced the smoke emissions as far as practically possible.
| Hartridge Smoke Units | |
| Before First Service | 45 |
| After First Service | 26 |
| After Installation of DE-BUG | 18 |
| After Second Service | 18 |
SIRIM Report ; Standards of Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia – PDF
Environmental Concerns
There are sound reasons to be concerned about the black smoke that comes from sulfur rich contaminated diesel – especially if it is treated with biocides. Sulphur rich diesel contributes to acid rain and acidification of lakes and streams and it carries a special health hazard.
Most contaminants are absorbed onto soot. The carbon in emissions – PM – absorbs the contaminants in the emissions – sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, as well as the toxins in biocide. This is a health hazard, when soot is inhaled.
Reduction of soot leads to reduction of exposure to these contaminants. The presence of sulfur in the form of sulphates or sulphides increases contaminants on the soot. So do the toxins of additives and biocides.
Black smoke’s basic cause is incomplete combustion. Its root cause is contaminated diesel.
Normal treatment is an engine overhaul and injector replacement to bring the engine to optimum condition. The fastest, cheapest solution is fitting a DE-BUG unit.
DE-BUG will not repair an engine, but it may improve combustion, lower emissions and reduce black smoke.