Diesel exhaust

Diesel exhaust is the gaseous exhaust produced by a diesel type of internal combustion engine, plus any contained particulates. Its composition may vary with the fuel type or rate of consumption, or speed of engine operation (e.g., idling or at speed or under load), and whether the engine is in an on-road vehicle, farm vehicle, locomotive, marine vessel, or stationary generator or other application.^[1]

Diesel exhaust is a Group 1 carcinogen, which causes lung cancer and has a positive association with bladder cancer.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] It contains several substances that are also listed individually as human carcinogens by the IARC.^[7]

Methods exist to reduce nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM) in the exhaust. So, while diesel fuel contains slightly more carbon (2.68 kg CO₂/litre) than petrol (2.31 kg CO₂/litre), overall CO₂ emissions of a diesel car tend to be lower due to higher efficiency. In use, on average, this equates to around 200 g CO₂/km for petrol and 120 g CO₂/km for diesel.

^ Lippmann, Morton, ed. (2009). Environmental Toxicants (PDF). pp. 553, 555, 556, 562. doi:10.1002/9780470442890. ISBN 9780470442890. composition can vary markedly with fuel composition, engine type, operating conditions ... combustion of petroleum fuel produces primarily carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen ... The health risks lie in the small, invisible or poorly visible particles ... carbon (EC) core of diesel soot ... serves as a nucleus for condensation of organic compounds from unburned or incompletely burned fuel ... it still appears that nitrated PAHs are the most predominant bacterial mutagens
^ "IARC: DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST CARCINOGENIC" (Press release). International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). June 12, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2016. The scientific evidence was reviewed thoroughly by the Working Group and overall it was concluded that there was sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of diesel exhaust. The Working Group found that diesel exhaust is a cause of lung cancer (sufficient evidence) and also noted a positive association (limited evidence) with an increased risk of bladder cancer
^ "Report on Carcinogens: Diesel Exhaust Particulates" (PDF). National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services. October 2, 2014. Exposure to diesel exhaust particulates is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, based on limited evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans and supporting evidence from studies in experimental animals and mechanistic studies.
^ "Diesel engine exhaust; CASRN N.A." (PDF). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2003-02-28. Using U.S. EPA's revised draft 1999 Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (U.S. EPA, 1999), diesel exhaust (DE) is likely to be carcinogenic to humans by inhalation from environmental exposures.
^ Silverman, Debra T.; Samanic, Claudine M.; Lubin, Jay H.; Blair, Aaron E.; Stewart, Patricia A.; Vermeulen, Roel; Coble, Joseph B.; Rothman, Nathaniel; Schleiff, Patricia L. (2012-06-06). "The Diesel Exhaust in Miners study: a nested case-control study of lung cancer and diesel exhaust". Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 104 (11): 855–868. doi:10.1093/jnci/djs034. ISSN 1460-2105. PMC 3369553. PMID 22393209.
^ Attfield, Michael D.; Schleiff, Patricia L.; Lubin, Jay H.; Blair, Aaron; Stewart, Patricia A.; Vermeulen, Roel; Coble, Joseph B.; Silverman, Debra T. (2012-06-06). "The Diesel Exhaust in Miners study: a cohort mortality study with emphasis on lung cancer". Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 104 (11): 869–883. doi:10.1093/jnci/djs035. ISSN 1460-2105. PMC 3373218. PMID 22393207.
^ IARC. "Diesel Engine Exhaust Carcinogenic" (Press release). International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Retrieved June 12, 2012. After a week-long meeting of international experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), today classified diesel exhaust as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on enough evidence that exposure is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

[Lippmann2009-1] Lippmann, Morton, ed. (2009). Environmental Toxicants (PDF). pp. 553, 555, 556, 562. doi:10.1002/9780470442890. ISBN 9780470442890. composition can vary markedly with fuel composition, engine type, operating conditions ... combustion of petroleum fuel produces primarily carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen ... The health risks lie in the small, invisible or poorly visible particles ... carbon (EC) core of diesel soot ... serves as a nucleus for condensation of organic compounds from unburned or incompletely burned fuel ... it still appears that nitrated PAHs are the most predominant bacterial mutagens

[PRDEE2-2] "IARC: DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST CARCINOGENIC" (Press release). International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). June 12, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2016. The scientific evidence was reviewed thoroughly by the Working Group and overall it was concluded that there was sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of diesel exhaust. The Working Group found that diesel exhaust is a cause of lung cancer (sufficient evidence) and also noted a positive association (limited evidence) with an increased risk of bladder cancer

[3] "Report on Carcinogens: Diesel Exhaust Particulates" (PDF). National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services. October 2, 2014. Exposure to diesel exhaust particulates is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, based on limited evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans and supporting evidence from studies in experimental animals and mechanistic studies.

[4] "Diesel engine exhaust; CASRN N.A." (PDF). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2003-02-28. Using U.S. EPA's revised draft 1999 Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (U.S. EPA, 1999), diesel exhaust (DE) is likely to be carcinogenic to humans by inhalation from environmental exposures.

[5] Silverman, Debra T.; Samanic, Claudine M.; Lubin, Jay H.; Blair, Aaron E.; Stewart, Patricia A.; Vermeulen, Roel; Coble, Joseph B.; Rothman, Nathaniel; Schleiff, Patricia L. (2012-06-06). "The Diesel Exhaust in Miners study: a nested case-control study of lung cancer and diesel exhaust". Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 104 (11): 855–868. doi:10.1093/jnci/djs034. ISSN 1460-2105. PMC 3369553. PMID 22393209.

[6] Attfield, Michael D.; Schleiff, Patricia L.; Lubin, Jay H.; Blair, Aaron; Stewart, Patricia A.; Vermeulen, Roel; Coble, Joseph B.; Silverman, Debra T. (2012-06-06). "The Diesel Exhaust in Miners study: a cohort mortality study with emphasis on lung cancer". Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 104 (11): 869–883. doi:10.1093/jnci/djs035. ISSN 1460-2105. PMC 3373218. PMID 22393207.

[PRDEE-7] IARC. "Diesel Engine Exhaust Carcinogenic" (Press release). International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Retrieved June 12, 2012. After a week-long meeting of international experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), today classified diesel exhaust as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on enough evidence that exposure is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

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