OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEYPollution You Can See: SOOT
Fine particle pollution, commonly called soot, causes many serious health problems. Fine particle pollution is also one of the few pollutants that you can actually see.
Diesel engines emit a complex mixture of air pollutants, composed of both solid and gaseous material. The visible emissions you can see in diesel exhaust are known as particulate matter. These include many carbon particles (also called soot), as well as gases that become visible as they cool. Diesel particulate matter (diesel PM) has been identified as having the potential to cause cancer, as well as many other adverse health effects. In addition to particulate matter, emissions from diesel-fueled engines include over 40 other cancer-causing substances.