Diesel Exhaust Causes Cancer – Alternatives
Would you knowingly put your family at risk for cancer? Certainly not! Yet many people are buying diesel powered cars and SUVs, evidently oblivious to the fact that diesel exhaust causes cancer…
World Health Organisation: “Diesel Exhaust is Carcinogenic”
All of this was announced, back in 2012, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO). IARC has the task of identifying causes of cancer.
IARC says diesel exhaust is “carcinogenic to humans”.
Their conclusion was unanimous, based on “compelling” scientific evidence.
Yes, diesel exhaust fumes are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, along with smoking, asbestos and other dangerous substances.
Experts stated that diesel exhaust was even more carcinogenic than second-hand cigarette smoke.
Diesel fumes are linked to an increased risk of lung cancer and also linked to bladder cancer.
Diesel exhaust consists of gases and soot.
The gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur oxides, and hydrocarbons.
The soot, or particulate matter, is made up of carbon, organic materials and trace metallic compounds.
It’s these fine particles that get into the deepest part of our lungs, where they may trigger asthma attacks, bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease and cancer.
Granted that exposure to the diesel exhaust would be minimal from inside the car, but no safe maximum level of exposure has been determined.
They simply do not know.
Having this information must raise concerns if you own or are considering the purchase of a diesel car for your family…
Why Would You Buy a Diesel Car When Diesel Exhaust Causes Cancer?
Petrol cars generally outperform diesels.
They also typically cost around $2,000 less and weigh less, too.
So why do people choose diesels over petrol cars when diesel exhaust causes cancer?
It’s because they do save on fuel costs.
However, while they do well on open road driving, the savings when puttering around town are not as good.
Prospective diesel buyers need to calculate the annual savings and compare them to the extra upfront cost of purchasing a diesel engine car.
Payback periods in the 5 to 10 year range are not unusual and the fewer kilometers you drive a year, the longer it takes.
LPG and Hybrids
LPG and hybrids cars provide equal, if not better, fuel savings.
And whilst diesel exhaust causes cancer, hybrids are amongst the cleanest ICE vehicles.
It is the reason that the taxi industry was an early adopter of LPG (Autogas) powered cars, as they are extremely sensitive to the cost of running their vehicles.
These two alternatives also produce lower emissions than either diesel or petrol cars and those emissions are not carcinogenic.
While the choices in hybrids are still quite limited, almost any car can be converted to run on LPG.
The savings on LPG still remains about 50 to 65 cents per litre.
LPG becomes even more economical when it is combined with a 4-cylinder engine in a smaller car.
Not only is running an LPG car economical, but Autogas also has other benefits.
LPG is a cleaner burning fuel than petrol, so engine life is actually extended.
Engine oil and spark plugs need changing less often with LPG, so service intervals can be increased.
So, you could save even more money.
LPG Hybrid – The Best of Both Worlds
Toyota Hybrids, with their petrol-electric hybrid drive, are already amongst the most economical cars on the market.
Now they have also been converted to run on LPG.
Orbital Autogas mated their state-of-the-art LPG liquid injection system with the Camry Hybrid.
What they developed, an LPG Hybrid, is an ultra-efficient tri-fuel vehicle that is truly revolutionary.
Makes you wonder why diesel buyers would overlook these alternatives?