Diesel emissions caused 5,000 deaths a year in Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium - According to the findings of a new study published on Monday, it has been revealed that diesel emissions are responsible for 5,000 deaths each year in Europe alone.

The study pointed out that emissions from diesel cars rigged to appear eco-friendly may have been responsible for thousands of air pollution deaths per year across the continent.

Diesel engines emit less planet-warming carbon dioxide than petrol ones.

However, they emit significantly more nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The findings of the report also showed that the numbers are in line with previous assessments of deaths due to the "Dieselgate" scandal.

The scandal broke in 2015, when top carmaker Volkswagen admitted to cheating on vehicle emissions tests.

Volkswagen admitted installing illegal software devices in cars that reduced emissions only for the duration of tests.

Subsequently, many other carmakers since fell under suspicions of committing similar fraud.

Then, in 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.

On Monday, the journal Environmental Research Letters published a new study focussing on the perils for Europe.

In the study, researchers from Norway, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands calculated that deaths of about 10,000 people in Europe each year can be attributed to small particle pollution from light-duty diesel vehicles (LDDVs).

It noted that almost half of these deaths would have been avoided if emissions of NOx from diesel cars on the road had matched levels measured in the lab.

Authors of the study said that if diesel cars emitted as little NOx as petrol ones, almost 4,000 of the 5,000 premature deaths would have been avoided.

The team added that the countries with the heaviest burden are Italy, Germany, and France, "resulting from their large populations and high share of diesel cars in their national fleets."

Diesel cars in Europe were touted as less polluting and rose fast compared to petrol since the 1990s, and now comprise about half the fleet.

Currently, the authors claim that there were more than 100 million diesel cars in Europe, twice as many as in the rest of the world together.

They further noted that road transport contributed about 40 percent of NOx emissions in the countries of the European Union plus Norway and Switzerland.

They pointed out that NOx gases are composed of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide and contribute to acid rain and suffocating smog.

They also added that through long-term exposure, NOx gases can cause breathing problems, eye irritation, loss of appetite, corroded teeth, headaches, and chronically reduced lung function.

Adding, “Excessive premature deaths will continue into the future until LDDVs with high on-road NOx emissions have been replaced.”

A Brussels-based organisation lobbying for sustainable transport, Transport & Environment has found that a typical diesel car emits 42.65 tonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifecycle, or 3.65 tonnes more than a petrol car. 

According to a T&E report, “This analysis debunks carmakers’ claim that diesel cars are needed to meet their climate targets. Diesel cars are not only more polluting” in terms of air pollutants including harmful nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, “but also churn out more CO2 and cost on average 2,000 euros to 3,000 euros more than petrol.”