Off-Gassing: How Does Your Car Rate?

Everyone knows that cars are a major source of air pollution. While tailpipes emit the pollution we hear most about, there’s also that “new car smell” – which is a major source of indoor air pollution. The smell, which many people associate with the fun of buying a new car, actually comes from toxic chemicals being released from plastics, foams and fabrics used to make steering wheels, dashboards and seats.

Chemicals are added to indoor auto parts during the production process to give them specific properties such as rigidity, durability or flame resistance. Many of the chemicals are released into the air during the life of the vehicle. product. This “offgassing” is sometimes present as a window film or “fogging” that
develops on the inside of the windshield. Heat and UV-ray exposure can accelerate the process and can cause chemicals to break down into even more toxic compounds.

We inhale or ingest these chemicals as we drive through dust and air, potentially causing allergic or other acute reactions, or even long-term health impacts such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer..

And when vehicles are discarded at the end of their life, the majority of plastic and other nonmetallic parts are shredded and put into landfills or burned in incinerators. The can leach out of landfills, contaminating soil and water, and are dispersed throughout the atmosphere when they’re incinerated.

Toxic chemicals are not required to make indoor auto parts, and some manufacturers have begun to phase them out.

How does your car rate?

HealthyCar.org tested over 200 of the most popular 2006 and 2007 model vehicles in the U.S. using a special X-Ray device that identifies the composition of any material.

In each vehicle, 15 different components were sampled including the steering wheel, shift knob, armrest/center console, dashboard, carpet and seats.

They tested the chemicals that are of greatest concern because of their toxicity, persistence, and tendency to build up in people and the environment – bromine (associated with brominated flame retardants); chlorine (indicating the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC and plasticizers); lead; and heavy-metal allergens.

For 2007, the top scoring vehicle is the Chevrolet Cobalt. The worst scoring vehicle is Nissan Versa.

See the ratings: [sorry this link is no longer available]www.healthycar.org