How Safe is the Air in Your Car?

Depending on what you drive, you might want to think twice before taking a deep breath of new car smell. According to the non-profit environmental group Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan (HealthyCar.org), driving certain new cars can possibly result in a negative effect on human health. This is not the first time a study has been released warning of the potential dangers of vehicle interior air composition.

Usually it’s the air outside the vehicle that draws the scrutiny of science. However, by employing the use of an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device that “can measure the elemental composition of any material”, the Ecology Center group devised a list of the best and worst offending vehicle interiors for 2007. The group claims to have found questionable levels of mercury, bromine, chlorine and arsenic, chemicals that are linked to a wide range of health problems such as allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer, after testing close to 200 cars. Theyconcluded that amongst the participating vehicles, Nissan’s Versa was worst, and Chevrolet’s Cobalt the best.

It seems the source of these potential health maladies comes from phthalates, a series of chemicals readily found in vehicle interior plastics. Everything from the door panels and armrests to the glue holding down the carpets contains varying amounts of these suspect chemicals. It’s not clear how the cars that were tested were equipped; for example, leather interiors vs. cloth.

Despite the findings, there are those that remain skeptical.They assert that of phthalates are found in practically everything, and trace amounts can be found in almost all humans. Whether or not they are at hazardous levels inside cars remains to be seen. There is also the issue that no cases to date have been reported of Nissan Versa drivers falling victim to toxic poisoning.

Organizations in the consumer marketplace know that fear is a great motivator, whether it’s utilized to sell products or prevent others from doing the same. Will these findings hurt sales of the Versa while helping those of the Cobalt? Perhaps not. What this study will do is raise awareness on interior air quality. Therefore, whatever conclusions people draw on their own, the automakers, which do their best to avoid bad press, might just put more thought into the toxicity levels of cabin plastics when designing new cars and picking suppliers.