The Quick Facts: Whether you’re a busy mom carting your kids around to school and activities or planning that summer road trip, you should be aware that spending too much time in your car could prove to be harmful to your family’s health. A study conducted by the International Center for Technology Assessment shows that the air inside of cars contains more carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, fine particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides than ambient air at some monitoring stations. In addition, that ‘new car’ smell present in your automobile is actually the off-gassing of harmful chemicals used in the manufacture of seat cushions, armrests, floor coverings and plastic parts. There are steps you can take to lessen your exposure to in-car air pollutants, including: roll down car windows; park in the shade; use interior sun reflectors; keep as much distance as possible from other vehicles; properly maintain your car; choose less congested roads; avoid rush hour; drive in the carpool lane; and take public transportation.
Failed sleep practices aside, most parents find themselves in their cars with their children much of the day. According to several studies, taking the kids to school, activities, play-dates or running errands also means subjecting your family to a cocktail of harmful pollutants.
Pollutants-a-Plenty
The toxic culprits looming in your car come from two different sources: traffic emissions and the off-gassing of the materials in the car.
In 1999, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District conducted a two-year study that collected particulate data from inside vehicles. The study found that emissions from other vehicles on crowded roadways enter into the interior of cars. It also found that car occupants were exposed to some air pollutants and toxic compounds at levels that were ten times higher inside vehicles than in the surrounding air. The ARB concluded that rolling up windows and running the air conditioner did not significantly change the amount of toxic exposure suffered by drivers and passengers. Air pollutants that vehicle occupants were found to be exposed to included: hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, ethyl benzene, toluene, xylene and MTBE. The effects of excess exposure to these substances range from respiratory irritation to cancer to death.
A study conducted in 2000 by the International Center for Technology Assessment also showed that the air inside of cars contains more carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, fine particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides than ambient air at some air quality monitoring stations. These monitoring stations are situated in locations where air quality tends to be problematic and the data is used to issue public health warnings when needed. The study summarized the findings by calling in-car air pollution “one of the greatest modern threats to human health.”
Another study released in 2006 by Ecology Center, a non-profit environmental organization based in Michigan, illustrated how heat and ultraviolet (UV) light could trigger the release inside of cars of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and phthalates. These chemicals have been linked to birth defects, premature births, impaired learning, and liver toxicity, as well as other serious health problems. The study found that seat cushions, armrests, floor coverings and plastic parts in most car interiors off-gas these chemicals. It also found that in the summer, when car interiors can get as hot as 192° F, off-gassing and the associated risk are even greater.
Combating the Toxic Culprits
While there are alternative materials that can be used to manufacture the interior of cars, automakers have been slow to embrace them. Some car companies question the hard science used in the study and others doubt that any real public health issue exists.
According to Ecology Center, of all the vehicles tested, Volvo was found to have the lowest phthalates level and the second lowest PBDE level. Volvo was also noted to have strict policies in place that intend to phase out the offending materials. Both Ford and Honda also have plans in the works to eliminate these hazards, reports Ecology Center.
Until all car manufactures get on board and use less toxic materials in car interiors, drivers can mitigate the danger to themselves and their passengers by rolling down car windows, parking in the shade and using interior sun reflectors.
Combating the pollution from traffic emissions requires a different game plan. The following tips offered by the University of California at Berkley may help to reduce your family’s exposure to in-car pollution:
- Keep a safe distance from vehicles ahead of you, especially diesel trucks or obviously polluting cars.
- Properly maintain your car. A poorly maintained car is more likely to pollute the air inside it, as well as the air around it.
- If you have the option, choose less congested roads, even if they take a little longer. Or try to avoid rush hour.
- Drive in the carpool lane, when possible. Carpool lanes tend to have less traffic, so there’s less in-car air pollution.
- Take public transportation such as a subway, if it’s available.
Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:
http://www.arb.ca.gov (The Air Resources Board is California’s air pollution control agency. The ARB’s mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy.)
http://www.icta.org (The International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) is a non-profit, bi-partisan organization committed to providing the public with information about technological impacts on society. The organization is devoted to exploring the economic, ethical, social, environmental and political impacts that can result from the applications of technology or technological systems.)
http://www.ecocenter.org/cleancar/introduction.php (The Ecology Center is a membership-based, nonprofit environmental organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of their programs: The Clean Car Campaign, works to address toxic and health issues related to the production, use and disposal of automobiles, and promotes fuel-efficient vehicle technologies.)
http://wellnessletter.com/ (The WELLNESS LETTER is a monthly newsletter published by the School of Public Health and other researchers at UC Berkeley. It translates their research into practical advice for daily living.)
