| Biodiesel Exhaust: The Need for Health Effects Research Kimberly J. Swanson,1 Michael C. Madden,2 and Andrew J. Ghio2 1Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; 2National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA Abstract
Background: Biodiesel is a diesel fuel alternative that has shown potential of becoming a commercially accepted part of the United States' energy infrastructure. In November 2004, the signing of the Jobs Creation Bill HR 4520 marked an important turning point for the future production of biodiesel in the United States because it offers a federal excise tax credit. By the end of 2005, industry production was 75 million gallons, a 300% increase in 1 year. Current industry capacity, however, stands at just over 300 million gallons/year, and current expansion and new plant construction could double the industry's capacity within a few years. Biodiesel exhaust emission has been extensively characterized under field and laboratory conditions, but there have been limited cytotoxicity and mutagenicity studies on the effects of biodiesel exhaust in biologic systems. Objectives: We reviewed pertinent medical literature and addressed recommendations on testing specific research needs in the field of biodiesel toxicity. Discussion: Employment of biodiesel fuel is favorably viewed, and there are suggestions that its exhaust emissions are less likely to present any risk to human health relative to petroleum diesel emissions. Conclusion: The speculative nature of a reduction in health effects based on chemical composition of biodiesel exhaust needs to be followed up with investigations in biologic systems. Key words: air pollution, biodiesel, diesel exhaust, diesel fuels, lung diseases, vehicle emissions. Environ Health Perspect 115:496–499 (2007) . doi:10.1289/ehp.9631 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 3 January 2007]
Address correspondence to A.J. Ghio, Human Studies Division, NHEERL, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA. Telephone: (919) 966-0670. Fax: (919) 966-6271. E-mail: ghio.andy@epa.gov Support for this work was provided, in part, by the NHEERL/DESE Cooperative Training in Environmental Sciences Research, U.S. EPA CT826513. This report has been reviewed by the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Agency nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 18 August 2006 ; accepted 3 January 2007.
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