You know, when I was in 9th grade, a friend did a science fair project on the effects of diesel exhaust versus gasoline exhaust on plants.
He exposed plants to diesel and gasoline exhaust fumes over an extended period. The plants exposed to diesel actually did well. The plants exposed to gasoline exhaust did not fare well.
If a ninth grader over 25 years ago gets it, why don’t these “professionals?”
Anyway, the article isn't about fumes, it is about particulates.
Maybe you have heard of asbestosis, silicosis, or black lung disease.