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The gas component comprises many of the urban hazardous air pollutants, such as acetaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The fine and ultra fine particles are respirable which means that they can avoid many of the human respiratory system defense mechanisms and enter deeply into the lung. Individuals react differently to different levels of exposure; there is limited information on exposure to just diesel particulate matter but there is enough evidence to indicate that inhalation exposure to diesel exhaust causes acute and chronic health effects. Chronic exposure in experimental animal inhalation studies have shown a range of dose-dependent lung inflammation and cellular changes in the lung and there are also diesel exhaust immunological effects. Based upon human and animal studies, there is considerable evidence that diesel exhaust is a likely carcinogen.
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