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38,000 People a Year Die Early Because of Diesel Emissions Testing Failures (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Diesel cars, trucks, and other vehicles in more than 10 countries around the world produce 50 percent more nitrogen oxide emissions than lab tests show, according to a new study. The extra pollution is thought to have contributed to about 38,000 premature deaths in 2015 globally. In the study, published today in Nature, researchers compared emissions from diesel tailpipes on the road with the results of lab tests for nitrogen oxides (NOx). The countries where diesel vehicles were tested are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and the U.S., where more than 80 percent of new diesel vehicle sales occurred in 2015. The researchers found that 5 million more tons of NOx were emitted than the lab-based 9.4 million tons, according to the Associated Press. Nitrogen oxides are released into the air from motor vehicle exhaust or the burning of coal and fossil fuels, producing tiny soot particles and smog. Breathing in all this is linked to heart and lung diseases, including lung cancer, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation, which took part in the research. Governments routinely test new diesel vehicles to check whether they meet pollution limits. The problem is that these tests fail to mimic real-life driving situations, and so they underestimate actual pollution levels. The researchers estimate that the extra pollution is linked to about 38,000 premature deaths worldwide in 2015 -- mostly in the European Union, China, and India. (The U.S. saw an estimated 1,100 deaths from excess NOx.)

3 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Re: If you're rolling coal with open exhaust stac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    I struck some coal rolling rednecks nerve. Direct hit!

  2. Re:Not too bad by SumDog · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know the difference between 9/11 and a cow? You can't milk a fucking cow for 16 years

  3. Re:So by sudon't · · Score: 4, Funny

    As a truck driver, I find that my 1990s emissions levels nicely complement my 1970s wages.

    --
    -- sudon't

    Air-ride Equipped