A report by the New York Times estimates that Volkswagen cars that illegally polluted up to 40 times more nitrogen oxides may have contributed to more than 100 premature deaths in the U.S., nearly equal to the faulty GM ignition switch that has been linked to 124 deaths.
The researchers calculated the effects of the increased nitrogen oxides by using numbers derived from U.S. counties where power plant emissions had been reduced. Those counties removed 350 tons of nitrogen dioxides per year and had 5 fewer deaths per 100,000 people. Calculating the number of VW diesels and their average emissions at 39 times the legal limit, the writers concluded that the cars could be responsible for 106 premature deaths nationwide.
An associate professor at MIT used figures from the Environmental Protection Agency to estimate that pollution from dirty Volkswagens may have caused around 40 premature deaths, which the article's authors cite could be on the low end.
The total effect of pouring tons of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere and its impact on health would be extremely difficult to calculate — let alone prove in court for plaintiffs who may sue Volkswagen.
But so far, it appears that VW's growing scandal has at least one casualty: diesel's immediate future.
The post Report: VW's Dirty Diesels May Have Caused Up to 100 Deaths appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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