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Diesel cars blamed for ‘up to 5,000 deaths’
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Emissions from diesel cars rigged to appear eco-friendly may be responsible for 5,000 air pollution deaths a year in Europe alone, according to a study published yesterday.
The numbers are in line with previous assessments of deaths due to the so-called “Dieselgate” scandal, which erupted when carmaker Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating on vehicle emissions tests.
Many other carmakers have since fallen under suspicion.
Last May, a study in the journal Nature said “excess” emissions from diesel vehicles exceeding certification limits were associated with about 38,000 “premature” deaths globally in 2015.
The new study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, focuses on the perils for Europe.
The researchers from Norway, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands calculated that about 10,000 deaths in Europe per year can be attributed to small particle pollution from light duty diesel vehicles.
Almost half of these would have been avoided if emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel cars on the road had matched levels measured in the lab.
VW admits illegality
Volkswagen admitted installing illegal software devices in cars that reduced emissions only for the duration of tests.
If diesel cars emitted as little NOx as petrol vehicles, almost 4,000 of the 5,000 premature deaths would have been avoided, said the authors.
The countries with the heaviest burden are Italy, Germany, and France, the team added, “resulting from their large populations and high share of diesel cars in their national fleets.”
Touted as less polluting, the share of diesel cars in Europe rose fast compared to petrol since the 1990s, and now comprise about half the fleet. There are more than 100 million diesel cars in Europe today, twice as many as in the rest of the world together, said the study authors.
Diesel engines emit less planet-warming carbon dioxide than petrol ones, but significantly more NOx.
Composed of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, NOx gases contribute to acid rain and suffocating smog.
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