Selling Opel Corsa. No carcinogens floating in your previous one.” This statement may seem exaggerated, but the truth is that it is not. new cars they contain substances that can be carcinogenic at elevated temperatures. For this reason, used cars have an advantage that we usually do not consider. This is the conclusion of a study that has just been published in Cell reports and suggests taking precautions when starting a new car.
The most curious thing is that it is these substances that are responsible for new car smell what we love so much Paint, fabrics and other substances used in car construction can release something known as volatile organic compounds. That is, chemicals that contain carbon and easily turn into gases. They are usually responsible for odors and are not always harmful. However, even in this case, some of their carcinogenic effects are known.
This is, for example, the case formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and benzene. The authors of the study analyzed how their levels change over time and at different temperatures. And they also checked, assuming the machine Taxihow it will affect both the driver and passengers. In general, the former suffers the most, but the latter can also suffer the consequences, especially if it is hot or the new car has spent a lot of time in the sun.
Why is the smell of a new car dangerous?
For the study, we took air samples inside the SUV brand new media They were then measured using a method called gas chromatography, which allows you to calculate the levels of gaseous substances present in the sample. Once those levels were calculated, they settled on those known to increase cancer risk and set them up. increased lifetime cancer risk (ILCR).
As the name suggests, this measure determines how much a person’s risk of developing cancer increases throughout their lifetime. If he ILCR below 10, increased to -6 is considered safe. If it is between 10 to the -6 power and 10 to the -4 power, there is a potential risk. And finally, if the values are above 10 to the power of -4, the risk is high.
Thus, it was seen that if the vehicle was a taxi, in which drivers spend on average 11 o’clock and passengers 1,5 hour, the risk of cancer from contact with formaldehyde will be quite high for both drivers and passengers. The same with acetaldehyde, although somewhat longer. And as for benzene, the risk will be only for the driver. On the other hand, it should be noted that this risk increases over time as the vehicle heats up.
In fact, during the 12 hours that the experiment lasted, the temperature in the car fluctuated from 21°С to 63°С.
there are alternatives
This is not the first study to point out the risks of driving a new car. In fact, another one has already been published, which indicated that it is enough 20 minutes driving exposed to these carcinogens.
For this reason, although more research is needed to have a more concrete understanding of what is happening, the authors of all these studies offer some advice. Buy if possible used cars, which no longer contain these volatile organic compounds. On the other hand, resort to public transport as far as possible. And, of course, don’t leave your car in the sun for a long time so that it is not too hot.
It’s also important ventilate the car as new as possible steam cleaning of seats and carpets remove some of these toxic compounds and end up using HEPA filters if it is possible.
In conclusion, you must prevent the smell of a new car from lingering longer than it should. We may love it, but its consequences are much less pleasant.
Source: Hiper Textual
