Health risks from light-duty diesel vehicles

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00119a720· OSTI ID:6940736

Cuddihy, R G; Griffith, W C; McClellan, R O

Because concentrations of particles from diesel vehicles will not exceed about 40 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/, even in very congested urban areas, they should not by themselves cause symptoms of respiratory disease. However, combined with particle emissions from other sources, diesel vehicles could contribute substantially to the total particulate pollution levels in urban areas. In consequence, ambient levels in these areas may then exceed air quality standards and cause a concomittant rise in respiratory disorders. Lung cancer risks from inhaling diesel exhaust particles were estimated by comparing their carcinogenic potencies with other substances that have been shown to cause cancer in humans. It was estimated that the expected levels of exposure in congested urban areas could increase a person's lung cancer risk by a few percent, but that the overwhelming cause of lung cancer in a population will continue to be cigarette smoking. Overall, diesel-powered vehicles are expected to cause less than about 200 lung cancers per year in the U.S. population. However, the information currently available is insufficient to exclude the possibility that no lung cancer cases can be attributed to the emission from light-duty diesel vehicles.

• Research Organization: Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Inst., Albuquerque, NM
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76EV01013
• OSTI ID: 6940736
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 18:1; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CARCINOGENESIS
DATA
DIESEL ENGINES
DISEASES
ENGINES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EXHAUST GASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INFORMATION
INHALATION
INTAKE
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
LUNGS
MUTAGENESIS
NEOPLASMS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
PARTICLES
PATHOGENESIS
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
RISK ASSESSMENT
URBAN AREAS
WASTES