Deaths from respiratory problems could rocket with the increase of vehicles burning ethanol, a team of US scientists has warned.
Using a computer model to simulate air quality in 2020 the atmospheric scientists found that increasing the number of vehicles running bioethanol would have serious effects on air quality.
In the study, scientists predicted higher levels of ozone, or smog, produced by the burning the biofuel would translate to an extra 200 deaths in the US a year, with 150 deaths in LA alone from respiratory problems like asthma. Premature deaths caused by ozones currently stands at 10,000 people per year.
Commentators are warning the ethanol use in fuels like E85 in the UK could pose a similar health risks.
