Diesel emissions and Lung cancer: an evaluation of recent epidemiological evidence for quantitative risk assessment.

Since their introduction in the early 20th century, diesel engines have become the workhorses in
a wide range of industrial settings and forms of
transportation. Their power and durability, better
fuel efficiency, and lower emissions of some air
pollutants (in particular, carbon monoxide) made
them attractive in heavy-duty applications such as
trucks, buses, construction, farming and mining
equipment, locomotives, and shipping in marine
and inland waterways. Given these attributes, dependence on diesel engines for all forms of transport, including light-duty passenger vehicles, is
strong and appears likely to grow in the foreseeable
future.
At the same time, exposures to emissions from
diesel engines and their potential impact on human
health in both environmental and occupational settings have long been a subject of concern. Over the
past several decades, epidemiological and toxicological studies have reported associations between
short-term and long-term exposures to diesel exhaust and its components and a range of acute and
chronic adverse health effects, including lung cancer. HEI conducted the first of its comprehensive reviews of the scientific literature on diesel exhaust
emissions, exposures, and health effects in 1995
(HEI Diesel Working Group 1995). In that review,
HEI identified weak increases in lung cancer risk in exposed relative to unexposed workers. Diesel exhaust has also been the subject of numerous scientific reviews by national and international organizations.