Diesel fumes increase lung cancer risk
A new study has found a possible link between diesel fumes and as many as six percent of all lung cancer deaths in the UK and USA.
Researchers from the University of Utrecth in the Netherlands published a study in which it appears that people exposed to diesel exhaust fumes as part of their occupation make up 4.8 percent of all lung cancer deaths in the UK and US. Those who live on or near major roadways account for an extra 1.3 percent of lung cancer deaths in those countries. All in all the study claims 11,000 deaths can be attributable to diesel fumes.
Those who were exposed regularly to diesel exhaust fumes – truckers and miners especially – are at particular risk of terminal lung cancer, the researchers estimating their risk could be up to 70 times higher than is considered by US health safety standards.
This adds up to about 21 people in every 10,000 who live alongside highways are also at risk of dying from the disease, and this is a massive hike when compared with one in every 100,000 people who breath air that meets air quality standards.
The study collected data from three previous studies related to truckers and miners, and then compared that data to the national death statistics in both the UK and the US.
Considering that millions of workers are exposed daily at such levels, and most likely have been exposed to much higher levels in the past, the impact on the current and future lung cancer burden could increase substantially.
The world health Organization barely concluded last year that diesel exhaust fumes are definitely carcinogenic, but strict emissions regulations in Europe – where disele engines are especially popular, means that diesels are becoming increasingly ‘clean’, in many instances emitting less air pollution than petrol engines.
The study however could have a major flaw to its findings: the researchers did not take into account the smoker status of lung cancer patients.
