A Japanese research team said Wednesday it has identified several chemical substances emitted from diesel-powered vehicles that can cause low blood pressure and other cardiac irregularities in people who inhale them.
The substances were identified as belonging to a nitrophnol category, including the so-called PNMC, which is created from the decomposition of fenitrothion, a pesticide widely used in a number of different countries, according to the team.
PNMC is detected in the atmosphere and rain. It is also found inside human bodies because people who inhale fenitrothion metabolize it into PNMC.
The team that found the substances features researchers from the National Institute for Environmental Studies, the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
The latest finding is expected to raise calls for stricter regulations on the use of the pesticide in question.