The respiratory health effects of acute in vivo diesel and biodiesel exhaust in a mouse model

Biodiesel, a renewable diesel fuel that can be created from almost any natural fat or oil, is promoted as a greener and healthier alternative to commercial mineral diesel without the supporting experimental data to back these claims. The aim of this research was to assess the health effects of acute exposure to two types of biodiesel exhaust, or mineral diesel exhaust or air as a control in mice. Male BALB/c mice were exposed for 2-hrs to diluted exhaust obtained from a diesel engine running on mineral diesel, Tallow biodiesel or Canola biodiesel. A room air exposure group was used as a control. Twenty-four hours after exposure, a variety of respiratory related end point measurements were assessed, including lung function, responsiveness to methacholine and airway and systemic immune responses.