German car companies tested pollutants – on animals and humans. They even started their own research initiative. What was the purpose of VW, Daimler and BMW? The overview.
Exhaust of a diesel car
Monday, 29.01.2018
16:52 clock
The auto industry is said to have commissioned trials to prove how harmless the supposedly clean diesel engines are. Last week, the New York Times, relying on court records and government documents, first tested monkeys reported with nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Several car companies also paid for an experiment in which humans the irritant gas were suspended,
What are the studies looking at?
For the experiment with humans at an institute of the university hospital Aachen 19 men and six women inhaled nitrogen dioxide for several hours, in different concentrations. Blood, lung function and ejection of subjects were examined. Result: The body functions of healthy subjects are not significantly affected, is it [called.
In the case of the monkey experiment, the industry had commissioned the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, according to the New York Times, to prove that the diesel pollutant load has decreased significantly thanks to modern emission control – Volkswagen has been in charge. For this, ten animals were imprisoned in Albuquerque in 2014 for four hours in rooms with exhaust gases of a VW Beetle.
Who is behind the studies?
Both experiments were funded by the “European Research Association for Environment and Health in the Transport Sector” (EUGT). The seven researchers involved in the test also state this in their paper.
The EUGT mainly consisted of well networked autobiots. The club was one of Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW funded lobbying initiative – they each had their own board posts and worked together there. Also a representative of the airport service provider Fraport sat in the committee.
The chairman of the board was Gunter Zimmermeyer, who previously worked for the automobile association VDA as technical director and later for Bosch. Managing Director Michael Spallek was an environmental doctor for the VW Group. A research council of seven scientists supported the EUGT, who boldly promoted the Albert Einstein quote: “It’s harder to smash a preconceived notion than an atom.”
According to its own presentation, the association, which was dissolved in mid-2017, wanted to document the “current state of knowledge on environmental-medically relevant effects of transport” – and to support scientific publications in this area. In addition to exhaust fumes, the EUGT also promoted scientific contributions to the effectiveness of environmental zones in cities.
Should the studies cover exhaust gas manipulation?
According to the Times, the monkeys are said to have been exposed to the emissions of a beetle equipped with manipulated exhaust technology. As a comparison model should have served an old Ford diesel truck from the model year 1999. All this suggests the suspicion that the VW group wanted to relieve his tricks on diesel engines with the tests. BMW and Daimler do not want to have heard of this test. The EUGT had already written extensively in its brochure about the test with monkeys “in an environmentally typical situation with direct diesel exhaust from the vehicle engines”. The main focus of the chassis dynamometer test, according to the lobbying group, should be the short-term effects on the lung and cardiovascular system.
In the test with humans the responsible institute director Thomas Kraus of the University of Aachen denies a connection to the exhaust gas scandal. The 2013 study found itself with the nitrogen dioxide limit at work, Because the limit was lowered and there were no studies on humans, the study was undertaken. The ethics committee evaluated the study published in 2016 as justifiable. The researchers were “in no way influenced,” said Kraus.
What do the allegations mean for the auto industry?
If the car industry actually wanted to calculate the exhaust emissions based on such tests, that was “beyond good and evil,” says auto expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer from the University of Duisberg-Essen. The industry has been in a crisis of confidence for years, relying on people’s trust for the future of electromobility and autonomous driving. In the direction of the head of the Association of the Automotive Industry Dudenhöffer said: “Now Matthias Wissmann is required to disclose what is going on at his association and its large members.” Wissmann said in a first statement: “Technology and science must, in principle, be within the framework of the socially and ethically responsible.”
How do the corporations react?
Volkswagen admits in the face of public indignation that it would have been better to forego such an investigation from the outset. “We apologize for the misconduct and misjudgment of individuals”, is it [called,
Daimler said it had initiated an investigation to clarify the background to the controversial study. “We hold the animal experiments in the study, superfluous and repugnant. “
BMW commented in a similar statement – the group did not conduct any animal experiments and did not participate in the study. “Details such as process or scope we can not comment accordingly.”
What does the policy say?
The Federal Government condemns the diesel pollutant tests. “These tests on monkeys or even humans are ethically in no way justifiable,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert, “The outrage of many people is completely understandable.” The supervisory boards of the clients of the tests now have a special responsibility to answer critical questions also to the objective of the tests. The auto companies would have to limit pollutant emissions and comply with limit values - and not to prove the alleged harmlessness of exhaust gases.
The executive Christian Social Union-Bundesverkehrsminister Christian Schmidt called for consequences. “It shows that this has further disturbed confidence in the companies and in the automotive industry,” said Schmidt. The investigation commission of its Ministry to the exhaust scandal should consider the allegations in a special meeting.
In this case, exhaust gas tests on animals were again the investigation committee for VW exhaust scandal again known. The Munich toxicologist Helmut Greim – former research council chairman of the EUGT – already reported about one and a half years ago. None of the politicians present there have taken offense, writes the Handelsblatt, citing the stenographic minutes of the meeting.
According to the office of Green MEP Oliver Krischer, the members of the commission of inquiry assumed that Greim reported on already known studies. “That the advisory board chairman, Prof. Greim, who is responsible for the animal and human experiments, was the expert of the Grand Coalition in the Exhaustive Examination Committee and also talked about the threat of nitrogen oxides, speaks for itself,” said Krischer. His assessments were also included in the final report of the Grand Coalition on the exhaust gas scandal.