Nitrogen oxide: Is it really that dangerous, lung doctors ask?

Here we’re quoting the most relevant part of a longer article discussing this issue, also including particulates. Has the German public and the world been fed a scare story that gives diesels an unfair image, to some extent at least?

Several German pulmonary physicians question the current nitrogen oxide and particulate matter limits, says DW.com.

These are inadequate and mainly based on questionable epidemiological studies, they say.
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Many victims of smoking, but where are the NOx deaths?

Should there actually be many causal deaths from particulate matter and NOx, then lung doctors should notice this in their daily practice, Köhler argues. But this is not the case at all.

Köhler cites an epidemiological study commissioned by Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA) as an example. This study calculates additional deaths per year for NOx at 6,000 – 13,000 and for particulate matter at 60,000 – 80,000. That would be about as many people as dying a result of smoking.

“In their practices and clinics, pulmonary physicians see [deaths caused by cigarette smoke] on a daily basis; however, deaths caused by particulate matter and NOx, even after careful investigation, never,” write the pulmonary physicians in their counterposition.

So it is “very likely” that the scientific data leading to these estimates “contains a systematic error.” Apparently, they have been “interpreted extremely one-sidedly” and “always with the objective that particulate matter and NOx must be harmful,” they write.

Appeal for a fair and open discussion

Köhler and his colleagues see their paper as helping to bring more objectivity to the emotional debate about driving bans, pollution limits and diesel exhaust gases. At least here they agree with the representatives of the established associations of pulmonary physicians.

The DGP, the Association of Pneumological Clinics (VPK), and the German Lung Foundation regard the publication “as an impetus for necessary research activities and a critical examination of the effects of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter,” write the respective chairmen of the three associations […] in a joint press release.

Full report here.