diesel exhaust causes cancer, the World Health Organisation has said, in a ruling that makes the fumes as important a threat as second-hand smoke.
The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer said yesterday that because so many people breathe in the fumes, it has raised the status of diesel exhaust from “probable carcinogen” to “carcinogen”.
Kurt Straif, director of the IARC, which evaluates risks of the disease, said: “It’s on the same order of magnitude as passive smoking.”
Particles in the exhaust can cause inflammation in the lungs which over time can lead to the disease. Mr Straif said there could be numerous cases of lung cancer connected to the contaminant,... read more