"New car smell" may be a toxic carcinogen

[Compiled and published by New Sancai] "New car smell" is a well-loved benefit of buying a new car. However, a new study suggests that at least some of the odor may be caused by toxic carcinogens released by flame retardants.

Flame-retardant chemicals added to seat foam and other car parts pollute the air inside all private cars, according to findings published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Additionally, the researchers say the chemicals were added to meet outdated federal flammability standards that actually have no proven fire safety benefits.

"Given that drivers spend an average of about an hour a day in their cars, this is a significant public health concern," lead researcher Rebecca Hoehn, a doctoral student and toxicology scientist at Duke University, said in the release. "For longer commutes, this is a significant public health concern." This is particularly concerning for drivers and child passengers, who breathe more air than adults."

The results showed that the research team found flame retardants in the cabs of 101 vehicles from 2015 or newer models across the United States.

Researchers say nearly all cars (99 percent) contain tris(1-chloroisopropyl)phosphate (TCIPP), a flame retardant that is considered a potential carcinogen by the U.S. National Toxicology Program investigation.

Researchers say most cars also contain two other flame retardants considered carcinogenic in California: tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl phosphate) ) ester (TCEP).

Researchers say these and other identified flame retardants have also been linked to neurological and reproductive health problems.

Researchers report that testing found higher concentrations of flame retardants in warm weather. Outgassing from seat foam and other interior components increases as heat builds up, and vehicle interior temperatures can reach up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Seat foam samples from 51 cars directly linked flame retardants in the cushioning to chemicals in the air inside the car.

For example, researchers say vehicles with foam containing the suspected carcinogen TCIPP tend to have higher concentrations of TCIPP in the air.

Researchers say flame retardants were added to the seat foam to meet federal standards adopted in the 1970s. These standards have not been updated since.

"Firefighters are concerned that flame retardants are causing them to have disproportionately high rates of cancer," Patrick Morrison, director of health, safety and medical for the International Association of Firefighters, said in a press release.

"In most uses, filling products with these harmful chemicals does little to prevent fires and instead makes fires smokier and more toxic for victims, especially first responders," Morrison said. I urge the [U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to update its flammability standards to meet the requirement not to use flame-retardant chemicals in vehicles."

California has adopted updated flammability standards for furniture and baby products. Updates completed a decade ago did not require flame retardants but still maintained or modestly improved furniture fire safety in the Golden State, researchers said.

Previous studies have shown that the average IQ of American children dropped by three to five points due to exposure to a type of flame retardant used in cars and furniture, researchers said. Another recent paper estimated that people with the highest blood levels of this flame retardant had four times the risk of dying from cancer compared with people with the lowest blood levels.

"Opening your car windows and parking in the shade may reduce exposure to flame retardants in your vehicle," Lydia Jahl, a senior scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute, said in a press release.

"But what is really needed is to first reduce the amount of flame retardants added to cars," Jarre added. "Going to work should not be a risk for cancer, and children should not be breathing chemicals that could harm their brains on the way to school."

(Compiled by: Wang Jimin)

(Editor: Jiang Qiming)

(Source of the article: Compiled and published by New Sancai)