EURO 6d particle filter: Damage to health despite high efficiency!

EURO 6d particle filter: Damage to health despite high efficiency!

On May 28, 2025, an international consortium led by Professor Ralf Zimmermann at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the University of Rostock published a significant study. This sheds light on the effects of car exhaust fumes on human health, particularly in relation to particulate matter emissions. According to the study, EURO 6d particle filters reduce direct fine dust emissions from vehicles, but cannot prevent secondary fine dust from being created. uni-rostock.de reports that the main culprits of air pollution-related health hazards are particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide.

Modern gasoline vehicles with direct injection and particulate filters achieve over 90% filter efficiency in exhaust gas measurements. Nevertheless, photochemical reactions produce secondary particulate matter from volatile organic hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Experiments using human lung cells A549 alveolar and BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells showed that fresh exhaust gases had hardly any toxic effects. In contrast, atmospheric aging produced reactive oxygen compounds that can lead to DNA damage. Dr. Mathilde N. Delaval emphasizes that particle filters alone are not enough to minimize the health effects of traffic emissions.

New emissions tests and increasing failure rates

The researchers demand that future emissions tests should also analyze exhaust gas composition, particularly aromatic hydrocarbons. Another problem arises in the practical implementation of the EURO 6 diesel standard. Since July 1, 2023, vehicles in this category have been subject to new measurement procedures for emissions testing (AU). The failure rate has increased since then. In the period from July 1st to October 30th, 2023, every 29th Euro 6 diesel failed the emissions test. auto-motor-und-sport.de reports that the failure rate increases with mileage and can be as high as 2.8% even for vehicles with less than 50,000 km.

Ford models particularly often have problems with the new standard. A Ford C-Max 1.5 TDCi Titanium had to pass the AU after several failed attempts with a new exhaust. The supply of spare parts is also a problem: Yvonne Schneider, for example, cannot use her Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi because a particle filter is not available. The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has now initiated market surveillance proceedings against Ford, while the ADAC reports that other brands such as Volvo are also affected by the stricter regulations.

The health effects and legal framework

The health consequences of air pollution remain a pressing issue. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), at least 239,000 people died in the EU from fine dust-related illnesses in 2022. eea.europa.eu highlights that although the health effects of long-term exposure to pollutants have improved, air pollution remains the largest environmental health risk in Europe.

The EU has set itself the goal of reducing pollutant emissions by 55% by 2030. The new air quality regulations, which will soon come into force, are intended to bring the limit values ​​closer to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. However, the challenge remains: actual levels of pollutants in the air often exceed recommended limits, leading to avoidable deaths. The study by Zimmermann and his team could therefore make a decisive contribution to developing new health-oriented emissions standards that are important in terms of traffic safety and environmental protection.