A research organization funded by German carmakers sponsored scientific experiments testing nitrogen dioxide, a gas found in exhaust fumes, on people, German daily Stuttgarter Zeitung said.
The European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) commissioned the study, the paper said.
Reporters could not immediately confirm the details of the study and a representative for the EUGT, which was dissolved last year, could not be reached for comment.
Photo: Bloomberg
The research organization received its funding from German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW.
The purpose and outcome of the study remain unclear, but revelations about experiments involving people come as the auto industry faces bans of toxic diesel vehicles from inner cities following revelations in 2015 that Volkswagen manipulated emissions on diesel-engine cars.
Stuttgarter Zeitung said that about 25 healthy young people inhaled nitrogen dioxide in varying doses over a period of hours at an institute belonging to RWTH Aachen University.
The impact of the gas on people could not be determined when the study was published in 2016, the newspaper said.
Daimler on Sunday condemned the studies, which were conducted by the same research body that sponsored an experiment forcing monkeys to inhale toxic exhaust fumes from a polluting diesel Volkswagen equipped with illegal software.
“We are appalled by the extent of the studies and their implementation,” Daimler said in a statement. “We condemn the experiments in the strongest terms. Even though Daimler did not have influence on the study’s design, we have launched a comprehensive investigation into the matter.”
The New York Times on Friday reported about a trial conducted in 2014 in a US laboratory in which 10 monkeys inhaled diesel emissions from a Volkswagen Beetle.
BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen have condemned the emissions experiments involving monkeys.
“We apologize for the misconduct and the lack of judgment of individuals,” Volkswagen said in a statement. “We’re convinced the scientific methods chosen then were wrong. It would have been better to do without such a study in the first place.”
The New York Times said EUGT had commissioned a study to defend the use of diesel after the WHO said the fuel’s exhaust fumes were carcinogenic.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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