A new study published in the journal Environment International suggests that drivers might be inhaling dangerous amounts of carcinogenic particles when breathing in that new car smell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The materials used to build the inside of a car, including plastics, industrial glues, foams, and textiles are drenched in various chemicals. As these parts come into contact with air, some of those chemical particles start separating from the materials, according to ScienceAlert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese chemicals are very volatile, moving easily from plastics and textiles to the air that you breathe,\u201d David Volz, the study\u2019s co-author and a professor of environmental toxicology at the University of California Riverside, told EurekAlert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we breathe in these chemicals, our brain interprets them as pleasant scents. Unfortunately, they are anything but good for our bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the particles released from car materials include benzene and formaldehyde, which are both classified as carcinogenic compounds, meaning that they can cause cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, breathing in these chemicals in small doses will probably not do much damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It becomes a problem, for example, when you are stuck in traffic for hours during your commute. A car is a closed environment, which researchers say is ideal for these chemicals to start building up in dangerous levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the scientists\u2019 calculations, benzene and formaldehyde levels can surpass a safe level after a 20-minute drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur study raises concerns about the potential risk associated with inhalation of benzene and formaldehyde for people who spend a significant amount of time in their vehicles,\u201d the researchers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[It is] an issue that is especially pertinent to traffic-congested areas where people have longer commutes,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The research team conducted the study in areas of heavy traffick: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Santa Clara, and Alameda, all in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The researchers found that nine out of ten people in the areas they looked at have at least 30-minute commutes. This gives them a 10% chance of exceeding cancer risk from inhaling dangerous chemicals in their cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course, there is a range of exposure that depends on how long you\u2019re in the car, and how much of the compounds your car is emitting,\u201d Aalekhya Reddam, the lead author and PhD student at the University of California Riverside said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reddam says there is a simple solution to eliminate this risk. Just crack open a window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt least with some air flow, you\u2019d be diluting the concentration of these chemicals inside your car,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a better solution, according to Reddam and Volz, is to use less hazardous materials in cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere should be alternatives to these chemicals to achieve the same goals during vehicle manufacturing. If so, these should be used,\u201d said Volz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A new study published in the journal Environment International suggests that drivers might be inhaling dangerous amounts of carcinogenic particles when breathing in that new car smell. The materials used to build the inside of a car, including plastics, industrial glues, foams, and textiles are drenched in various chemicals. As these parts come into contact with air, some of those chemical particles start separating from the materials, according to ScienceAlert. \u201cThese chemicals are very volatile, moving easily from plastics and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conditions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1041"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1042,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041\/revisions\/1042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}