Diesel exhaust kills throat cells

Researchers at Deakin University in Australia have found that diesel exhaust is far more damaging to health than exhaust from biodiesel, the plant-based fuel.

Associate Prof Leigh Ackland, Associate Head of Deakin’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences, led a team of researchers who compared the effects of diesel exhaust and biodiesel exhaust on human airway cells. They found that diesel exhaust damaged and killed the cells, while biodiesel exhaust had little effect.

‘The fumes from burning fuels, including diesel, contributes to pollution and can cause heart disease, bronchitis and asthma. Efforts are underway to replace petrol and diesel with cleaner biofuels, such as biodiesel, but there is considerable resistance to this. Our study provides clear evidence that diesel exhaust is more harmful to our health than biodiesel exhaust,’ Associate Prof Ackland said.

As it is not possible to study in real time what happens in the real human airway, the researchers conducted their research on human airway cells grown in a culture. The cells were exposed to the particulate matter emitted in diesel and biodiesel exhaust fumes.