Dont you just love the new car smell? My mom’s lease was just up, and she got a new Volkswagen.
She doesn’t let me ever take it when I want to, but sometimes I find myself sitting in the car just to smell it. Ok, just kidding, I’m not that big of a freak, but that really is one of my favorite smells.
We all know that cars pollute the air outside, but have you ever thought about car pollution indoors? A group just recently tied the “new car smell” to health issues, something that the chemical industry is upset about. The Ecology Center tested the inside of 200 cars for chemical content. They found, in a Chevy Silverado, for example, the seat contains 94 ppm lead, 2.5% bromine, and 6,798 ppm antimony. The arm rest contains 16% chlorine/PVC, so and and so on. They found what was in the soft door trim, hard door trim, steering wheel, shift knob, etc. Apparently, the chemical components could break down over time.
The Ecology Center announced the ratings and said “These chemicals become part of the air we breathe, contributing to ‘new car smell’ and a variety of acute and long-term health concerns. Since the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day, toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles is a major source of potential indoor air pollution.”
After studying indoor air quality, we know what chemicals can cause what illnesses. For example, low levels of lead in the air can cause health effects on the central nervous system, kidney, and blood cells. For small children who are more vulnerable, effects include delays in physical and mental development, lower IQ levels, shortened attention spans, and increased behavior problems.
The chemical industry has a whole other side of the story, but it is time for me to go be a napkin in beauty and the beast so I will fill you in later!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17651756/
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html
mary alice acton said
I never would have guessed that the “new car smell” could harm our health. After you explained it though, it did begin to make more sense. I guess next time I get into a new car, I’ll think twice about breathing in that “new car smell.”