A study has found that thousands of people die prematurely due to nitrogen dioxide, which is a gas produced by diesel engines.

This was published in a report by the German government.

The Federal Office for the Environment concluded that up to 6,000 people died prematurely in 2014 from illnesses caused or exacerbated by nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

The study used widely accepted statistical models to determine how many deaths could be attributed to NO2.

According to Time, it compared deaths from diabetes, asthma and other diseases with emissions records in cities and the countryside.

This was published a week after a German court ruled that cities should ban the use of diesel cars as part of an ongoing program to improve air quality.

The report found that the number of deaths fell from a 8,157 in 2008, gradually declining in line with less NO2 emissions in Germany.

Areas that experienced less emissions had lower risk of premature death