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In terms of emissions of health-damaging pollutants, both diesel and petrol-powered light vehicles have improved significantly in recent years. Nevertheless, in urban areas, where most people live, diesel vehicles remain an important source of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate emissions. Petrol cars fitted with 3-way catalytic converters also remain an important source of oxides of nitrogen emissions and, in addition, of emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). For petrol cars, this is primarily due to the predominance of short journeys in urban areas, often from cold starts, conditions under which the catalyst is much less effective at controlling pollutants. Both vehicle types produce carcinogenic substances in differing proportions, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs), benzene and 1,3-butadiene. Overall, therefore, comparison of the likely health impacts of the two vehicle types is difficult and definitive advice as to the preferability, on health grounds, of diesel versus petrol-powered light vehicles is not possible. However, concerns about the effects of particles on health in urban areas currently tip the balance in favour of petrol. It is acknowledged that in reaching this judgement only direct health effects of vehicle-generated air pollutants have been considered. Further studies of the indirect effects of air pollutants, for example as a result of climate change, would be needed to arrive at a more complete assessment.
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