The cars in question meet emissions standards tests in a laboratory or testing station, but in normal operation, they emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the standard, according to the EPA.
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In September, the US Environmental Protection Agency revealed Volkswagen was using software, known as the defeat device, to detect when its diesel cars were being tested and initiate measures to reduce the amount of emissions produced.
In the new study, the researchers took the amount of excess pollution, multiplied it by the number of affected vehicles sold in the USA, and extrapolated it over population distributions and health risk factors across the nation.
Barrett said if nothing is done to recall the vehicles, the excess emissions will cause a further 140 deaths.
The researchers said more than 60 people can face premature death and the number can increase if the company does not strictly follow the recall.
A total of $450 million in additional health expenses and other social costs will be generated because of VW’s excess emissions.
The scientists calculate that United States of America citizens will experience approximately 120,000 minor restricted activity days, including absences from work, and around 210,000 lower-respiratory symptoms days.
Researchers found Volkswagen’s excess emissions could contribute directly to more than 31 causes of chronic bronchitis and 34 hospital admissions involving cardiac conditions.
To estimate these health effects, lead author Steven Barrett, an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, along with colleagues from MIT and Harvard, used calculations on measurements by researchers at West Virginia University.
In their paper, the team also estimates other impacts of Volkswagen’s excess emissions on public health. Diesel vehicles emit nitrogen oxides, which react in the atmosphere to form fine particulate matter and ozone.
Looking at the statistic by each kilometer driven, this number of deaths is about a fifth of those caused by traffic accidents, he adds.
The same research also says that if the embattled automaker finishes its massive recall by late next year, it can prevent 130 additional early deaths.
The German automaker was forced to take its first quarterly loss in 15 year, a few 3.5 billion euros ($3.84 billion), as it anticipated hefty payouts to consumers around the world over the deceptive data, as well as the potential recall of 11 million cars.
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VW withdrew its application for 2016 certification after it disclosed it hadn’t told EPA that the vehicles have auxiliary emissions control devices that should have been disclosed at the time of its application.
