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Diesel? No Thank!

«The scientific proof is unmistakable and the conclusions have been unanimous: emissions from diesel engines cause lung cancer». This is the statement made by Christopher Portier -  Chairman of the International Center of Cancer Research – at the end of a meeting of experts of the WHO (World Health Organization) held in Lyons on 12 June. Portier stressed the need to «reduce exposure to this mixture of chemical products throughout the world».

Experts have been talking about it for a long time, but now they have sufficient evidence to determine a close tie between diesel-fueled engines and cancer: «The emissions discharged by diesel engines are definitely cancerogenous for humans, and exposure to these gasses is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and a higher risk of bladder cancer». This is the verdict of a work group that has placed diesel-fueled engines in the classification – from today – of “group 1”, the group which lists definitely cancerogenous substances, while previously diesel emissions were listed in “group 2” probably cancerogenous substances for man.

The announcement was applauded by the CODACONS  which stated that the WHO information «opens new vistas and – it continues – now the words “probably” and “potentially” will disappear: this makes it possible to proceed with greater success not only against the crime of hazardous emissions of substances (674 of the criminal code) but also for omission of official actions against those mayors and regional presidents who do not apply the law». CODACONS does not exclude the possibility of a class action by lung cancer patients.

The first comments by the European Association of Automakers (ACEA) were noncommittal, stressing how the new technologies of the incriminated engines were developed just to respond to these fears, and suggests careful reflection on the future consistency of the car market in Italy and the rest of the world.

While awaiting the effective availability of different technologies, there is no doubt that the use of LPG as fuel for cars is the answer now, already and more fully, to the need to combine economy with ecology. With the addition of the substantial reduction of social and health costs that, vice versa, would be much greater due to the increase in tumors caused by diesel engines that these studies highlighted.

Among other things, we are not just talking about cars, but should also turn our attention to public transportation and the movement of goods and people on wheels and urban buses. It is well known that large diesel engines are much more pollutant. A policy of clean urban transport in densely populated areas, which takes account of this information, as the WHO requests, is essential now. There are already systems of diesel-CNG and diesel-LPG fuel that have been thoroughly tested and are reliable. They considerably lower both costs and hazardous emissions. Let’s ask the government, parliament and the more far-sighted public administrations to enact norms for the limitation of urban circulation for vehicles not fueled by gas – or electric vehicles when and if they are mass produced – as well as reducing the circulation tax and parking fees: it could really be a concrete initiative for a rapid change of the vehicles in circulation, without extra costs for the state.

 Ugo Nazzarro

Bottom: Professor Christopher Portier, Director of the U.S. Agency for toxic substances and the Disease Register (ARSDR), Chairman of the International Cancer Research Center IARC (a branch of the World Health Organization)

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