Breaking News: Diesel Exhaust Causes Cancer, Says Leading
Authority Today, the International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) confirmed what we’ve long suspected: the pollution from
dirty diesel engines causes cancer. "The scientific evidence was
compelling and the working group's conclusion was unanimous:
Diesel engine exhaust causes lung cancer in humans," Christopher
Portier, chairman of the IARC working group, said in a
statement. "Given the additional health impacts from diesel
particulates, exposure to this mixture of chemicals should be
reduced worldwide.'' Today’s news places diesel exhaust in the
same category of cancer risk as asbestos and arsenic. As my
colleague Diane Bailey pointed out, the IARC report adds to the
mountain of studies, reports, and data connecting diesel exhaust
to a wide range of health impacts, including increased asthma
emergencies, bronchitis, emphysema, and heart disease. The cost
of our reliance on dirty diesel fuels and engines is staggering.
In the United States alone,