Nitrogen Dioxide Linked to Thousands of Premature Deaths in Germany

The findings of an official report come a month after a German court ruled in favor of banning diesel cars.

Written byDiana Kwon

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Nitrogen dioxide, a toxic particle released from diesel fumes, was linked to around 6,000 deaths in Germany in 2014, according to a report released by the country’s Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt, or UBA) this Thursday (March 8).

“This study shows how much nitrogen dioxide harms health in Germany,” the head of the Federal Office for the Environment, Maria Krautzberger, tells the Associated Press (via Time). “We should do everything to make our air clean and healthy.”

According to Reuters, the report also notes that nitrogen dioxide levels are higher than air quality standards allow in 70 cities.

Last month (February 27), Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig—the country’s highest administrative court—ruled that cities were allowed to ban diesel cars. The decision came after Environmental Action ...

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Meet the Author

Diana Kwon
Diana is a freelance science journalist who covers the life sciences, health, and academic life. She’s a regular contributor to The Scientist and her work has appeared in several other publications, including Scientific American, Knowable, and Quanta. Diana was a former intern at The Scientist and she holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from McGill University. She’s currently based in Berlin, Germany.
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