Protect Yourself From New-Car Fumes

Love that leathery, plasticky smell nostalgically associated with a new car? It's actually outgasing noxious chemicals, which drivers and passengers inhale.

January/February 2008
By Katie Sullivan 
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Vehicle violation: The average American spends 1.5 hours a day in the car. In a new vehicle, drivers and passengers breathe concentrated doses of noxious chemicals from the materials used to make steering wheels, dashboards, carpet, armrests, seat cushions, sealants and trim.

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Chemical rap sheet: Exposure to automotive chemicals—such as bromine (from fire retardants in cushion foam), chlorine (from plasticizers and polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) and heavy metals—could cause allergic reactions or even long-term health impacts such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.

Safe for kids: Children’s car seats contain many of the same toxic chemicals. Parents can investigate more than 60 tested child seats at Healthy Car to find which model is safest. (Note: Always use a child car seat, no matter what chemical rating it received.)

Odor eliminator: Healthy Car provides vehicle analysis of more than 200 popular new vehicles so buyers know which have the lowest and highest chemical ratings.
 
A safer ride: Other ways to limit your toxic chemical exposure:

• Park in the shade and crack the windows. Heat exposure releases chemicals; the more air flow through the vehicle, the better.

• Install a carbon air filter in your car.

• Buy a slightly older car. The concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generally declines over time—tenfold within a few months after manufacture. However, flame-retardant chemicals in foam cushions release more bromine with age.

• Choose cloth-covered seats. Healthy Car tests reveal that most leather seats actually have vinyl on the sides and back. Vinyl contains outgasing chemicals called phthalates.

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  • Home Green Home 12/21/2007 12:00:00 AM

    AFM Safecoat, the flagship non-toxic paint manufacturer, also
    makes a product called Lock Out which is designed to seal in
    chemical off-gassing from synthetic carpets. While AFM doesn't
    specifically suggest it for fabrics, I've had great success
    reported by customers who've used it on other synthetic materials
    such as upholsteries, drapes, etc. I don't see why it wouldn't
    benefit new car owners as well.

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