A recent study published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2011, concludes there is a “consistent association between occupational exposure to diesel motor exhaust and increased risk of lung cancer.” (Vol. 183. Pp. 941-948, 2011). This means that railroad workers, diesel mechanics, and other workers exposed to diesel exhaust have a larger risk of getting lung cancer. The study included over 13,000 lung cancer patients and their lifetime work histories.
This recent study confirms governmental reports and older studies concerning the danger of diesel exhaust. The National Toxicology Program (NTP), The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), The World Health Organization (WHO), and The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have all said diesel exhaust is likely carcinogenic to human beings.
The American Journal of Epidemiology (Vol. July 2000; 152:32-40) also reported high levels of diesel exhaust results in increased risk of lung cancer, after a study that included 3,400 workers. Workers with the most occupational exposure to diesel fumes were found to be 60% more likely to develop lung cancer.
More information on how diesel exhaust may be impacting the places you work is available at The American Cancer Society website.
If you, or someone you know, has been personally impacted by exposure to diesel exhaust or diesel fumes, contact us at Doran & Murphy to get answers.
