Diesel exhaust causes cancer, health officials say - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Breathing in diesel can be deadly. A cancer research group has officially named diesel fumes a carcinogen - they found it is just as dangerous as second-hand smoke.

The warning has the World Health Organization taking notice. Diesel fumes are being bumped up from a probable carcinogen to a confirmed cause of cancer.

Some said this new ruling could push governments to put tighter rules in place for diesel exhaust.

We all come into some contact with the fumes on a daily basis, but some researchers said the risk level for the average person is still pretty low. However, it's the people who have the most direct contact with diesel engines, such as drivers or mechanics, that may need to be concerned.

A truck driver's rig is their home on wheels for months at a time - a place they often don't even leave to eat or sleep. Some are not happy that it may now officially be making them sick.

"Five months, seven days a week, 24 hours a day that's how much we are breathing it in, " said trucker since 1996, Rosie Fountain.

But that doesn't necessarily mean a career change for Fountain, who makes frequent stops in the Upstate.

"It's not enough to make me stop working, it's the price you pay I guess."

Some researchers said the thousands of particles, including some harmful chemicals, in the exhaust could cause inflammation in the lungs over time and lead to cancer.

And that upgrade to carcinogen may cause some governments to push for stricter limits on emissions, especially to protect workers. That news doesn't please everyone.

"We don't like to be told what to do, let us do our job," trucker Stephen Plunkett said. 

"If its something good for the environment, that's good," Lee Jansan said. "But if it costs our paychecks and stuff, then that would be bad."

Also impacted by the news are nearly 5,200 South Carolina public school buses that run on diesel fuel. The schools are already mandated to regulate their emissions and keep kids' exposure to exhaust limited.

They said it just wouldn't be feasible to turn to an alternative form of energy because the state funding isn't there

"It's hard to describe turning to an alternative fuel when we can't even replace our current buses. Some are as old as 1980," said Jay Ragley, director of the Office of Legislation and Public Affairs for the South Carolina Board of Education

The findings are from the World Health Organization, but the U.S. government still lists the diesel exhaust as a "likely carcinogen." They believe new diesel engines emit fewer fumes, and more studies are needed to assess just how dangerous those fumes could be.

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