VW Conducted Illegal Exhaust-Gas Experiments on Humans and Monkeys

Der Spiegel comments on "Absurd and Inexcusable" Exhaust Gas Tests on Humans and Monkeys.

Not only monkeys, but also people were also exposed to the irritant gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in exhaust tests by the "European Research Association for Environment and Health in the Transport Sector" (EUGT). It was founded in 2007 by the concerns Daimler, VW, BMW and the automotive supplier Bosch.

According to reports of the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", the EUGT also promoted an experiment in which human subjects exposed themselves to the irritant gas nitrogen dioxide. According to the Federal Environment Agency, it damages the mucosal tissue in the entire respiratory tract and irritates the eyes. Car exhaust fumes are considered the main source of irritant gas.

"Ten monkeys for hours wantonly inhale car exhaust to prove that the pollution allegedly decreased, is disgusting and absurd," said Lower Saxony's Prime Minister and VW Supervisory Board member Stephan Weil (SPD).

Eurointelligence Comments

I picked up this story from Eurointelligence which had these comments:

The German car industry understood some time ago that the only way for diesel technology to survive in this day and age was through criminal activity. The reports about cheating on emissions test were only the tip of the iceberg. Then became the revelation that the industry operated illegal cartels, and now it is becoming known that it has conducted illegal experiments on humans and animals.

Spiegel Online has the latest update on the experiments with monkeys in the US, and with humans in Europe. Daimler, VW, BMW, and Bosch, have created what they called a research institute for the promotion of health in the transportation sector - known by its German initials EUGT.

The institute carried out an experiment with 25 people who were exposed to nitrogen dioxide in different concentrations.

The car companies were yesterday trying to distance themselves from those activities, which they funded. Even in Germany, where politicians tend to prioritize the health of the car industry over everything else, this is now going too far. The prime minister of Lower Saxony, Stefan Weil, who is also a member of the supervisory board of VW, said it was absurd to expose people and animals to toxins with the explicit goal to demonstrate that these are harmless.

No Excuse

There is no excuse for this and no apology can be accepted. The rot starts at the top and people should be in prison starting at the top.