Sind Kraftfahrzeuge mit Dieselmotoren noch tolerabel?

Abstract

Are vehicles with diesel engines still acceptable? Emissions from diesel engines are made up of hundreds of components, some in the form of particles and some gaseous. In 2002, the IARC classed diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to humans. Research in the workplace and studies on test persons showed inflammatory responses in the lungs, asthmatic responses and cardiovascular effects. The health implications of emissions have been in the public spotlight since the diesel scandal of 2015 and have called into question the acceptance of diesel engine technology. The optimisation of combustion processes in engines and exhaust gas treatment systems have nevertheless made it possible to reduce substantially the substances in exhaust over the last 20 years. In addition, the new test cycles are a practical way of monitoring emissions. The EURO 6 standard means that there is now virtually no difference between the emissions from diesel and petrol engines in newly registered vehicles, although diesel engines consume 15-20% less fuel than petrol engines. Keywords: diesel engines – emissions – carcinogenicity – diesel scandal