What are the health risks of inhaling diesel exhaust fumes?
I rode along in a school bus for a field trip and was alarmed that I could smell exhaust fumes in the bus. Answer: You should be alarmed. Diesel exhaust is a noxious soup of gases and particles that can have serious health effects when inhaled, said Chuck Stroebel, a research scientist at the Minnesota Department of Health. Children, in particular, are at risk from diesel exhaust fumes. Of biggest concern are the ultrafine particles called microparticles that can go deep within the lungs or even enter the bloodstream, Stroebel said. They can trigger asthma and other respiratory responses as well as cancer and other diseases over time. In addition, toxic gases such as carbon monoxide are found in diesel exhaust, as are other known carcinogens. Minnesota and several other states have passed laws that limit school-bus idling in order to reduce exhaust near schools. However, Stroebel said, the law in Minnesota is not effectively enforced. Smelling exhaust fumes inside a bus means the vehic
