Do you know that…
New research suggests that car interiors may be a significant source of indoor air pollution.
You watch what you eat, making sure that the food you serve your family is healthy and, if you’re really diligent, organic. You make sure that the furniture and appliances inside of your home are safe and well maintained. There isn’t a flake of lead-based paint anywhere in your home. But what about the new car in your driveway? Just how safe and non-toxic is the interior of your automobile? Does that “new car smell” contain toxic chemicals that could be bad for you?
According to a recent study by the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., the answer is yes. The group analyzed the elemental composition of over 200 late-model cars, trucks and SUVs for off-gassing chemicals from interior auto parts. The chemicals of concern for the Ecology Center were bromine from flame-retardants, chlorine from PVC and plasticizers, lead and other heavy metals. The use of these chemicals has been known to cause birth defects, liver toxicity, cancer and certain allergies. According to the Ecology Center, “since the average American spends more than one-and-a-half hours in a car every day, toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles is a major source of potential indoor air pollution.”
This entry was posted on Friday, August 17th, 2007 at 1:22 pm and is filed under Infotainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
August 18th, 2007 at 2:03 am
University Update - Supreme Court - Do you know that… says:[...] House Link to Article allergies Do you know that… » This excerpt is from an article posted at Monetize [...]