Assessing the exposure and hazard of diesel exhaust in professional drivers: a review of the current state of knowledge

Abstract

It is well-established that traffic-related air pollution has a detrimental impact on health. Much of the focus has been on diesel exhaust emissions due to a rapid increase in vehicle numbers and studies finding that this pollutant is carcinogenic. Unsurprisingly, the highest diesel exposures that the general population experiences are during urban daily commutes; however, few studies have considered professional drivers who are chronically exposed to the pollutant due to their work in transport microenvironments. In this narrative review, we address the literature on professional drivers’ exposure to diesel exhaust and advocate that a modern exposure science approach utilised in commuter personal exposure studies is needed. This type of evaluation will provide a more detailed understanding of the time-activity of professional drivers’ exposures which is required to identify specific interventions to reduce their risk to diesel exhaust emissions.