|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

Diesel Exhaust: Hazards

Diesel exhaust is produced when a combustible engine burns diesel fuel. Diesel engines, widely used in industry, transportation (ships, trains and trucking) and agriculture, have historically been cheaper and more versatile than gasoline and other fuel-powered engines. Unfortunately, diesel exhaust is a complex mixture of benzene, arsenic and formaldehyde, along with nitrogen oxides, a component of smog. Additionally, gases and fine particulates in the exhaust that contribute to smog pose serious health and environmental hazards.

  1. Environmental Hazards

    • As an environmental contaminant, diesel exhaust is pervasive. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, more than one million workers routinely exposed to diesel exhaust experience adverse side effects, including headaches, nausea and respiratory disease. While much concern is raised over the use of diesel in the trucking and train industries, the shipping industry is a major contributor of diesel exhaust worldwide. Results from a study on the SciVerse website, conducted by Corbett and Winebrake, indicated that "shipping-related particulate matter emissions contribute to approximately 60,000 global deaths annually, with impacts concentrated in coastal regions on major trade routes." According to the Environmental Protection Agency, diesel-powered ships contribute as much nitrogen oxides as 94 coal-fired power plants, as much particulate pollution as 117 coal-fired power plants and 40 percent of all mobile sources of sulfur dioxide emissions.

    Short-Term Health Risks

    • Exposure to diesel exhaust can have immediate health effects. In addition to irritating eyes, nasal membranes, throat and lungs, it can cause chronic coughs, headaches and nausea. It has caused inflammation in the lungs that can exacerbate asthma and can cause chronic respiratory symptoms.

    Long-Term Health Risks

    • Long-term exposure to diesel exhaust particles poses the highest cancer risk of any toxic air contaminant evaluated by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Studies run by the organization showed a clear correlation between long-term occupational exposure to diesel exhaust and an increased incidence of lung cancer. These results don't address the additional health risks of gaseous components of diesel exhaust. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, gaseous components of diesel exhaust include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxides and hydrocarbons, many of which are known carcinogens.

Public Health - Related Articles