The chemical particles produced when diesel burns are harmful to blood vessels and can increase the chances of blood clots forming in arteries, raising the risk of a heart attack or stroke, a new research has shown.
The research by the University of Edinburgh measured the impact of diesel exhaust fumes on healthy volunteers at levels that would be found in heavily polluted cities.
Scientists compared how people reacted to the gases found in diesel fumes such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide with those caused by the ultrafine chemical particles from exhausts.
The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation, showed that the tiny particles, and not the gases, impaired the function of blood vessels that control how blood is channelled to the body’s organs.