HEALTH EFFECTS OF DIESEL EXHAUST: AN HEI PERSPECTIVE

Diesel engines have many advantages, including good fuel economy, power, durability, lower emissions of some pollutants (such as carbon monoxide) and of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas). However, there are a number of concerns that need to be addressed: (1) emissions of nitrogen oxides (which contribute to ozone formation) and of particulate matter (PM); (2) questions about cancer and other health effects from exposure to diesel PM; and (3) as efforts to decrease emissions progress, a need to understand whether the nature and toxicity of the PM emitted has changed. This paper focuses on (1) carcinogenicity data, (2) noncancer effects, and (3) diesel as part of the complex ambient mixture of PM