I am selling an Opel Corsa. No carcinogenic substances floating around in your previous.” This announcement may seem exaggerated, but the truth is that it is not. The new vehicles they have substances inside that, when the temperature rises, can be carcinogenic. For this reason, second-hand cars have an advantage that we do not usually take into account. This is the conclusion of a study that has just been published in Cell Reports and invites to take precautions when launching a new car.
The most curious thing is that these substances are precisely those responsible for the new car smell that we like so much The paint, fabrics and other substances used in the construction of the car can release something known as volatile organic compounds. That is, chemical substances that contain carbon and can easily be transformed into gases. They are usually responsible for the aromas and are not always harmful. However, in this case there are some known for their carcinogenic effects.
It is, for example, the case formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and benzene. The authors of the research have analyzed how their levels vary over time and at different temperatures. And they have also checked, assuming the car is a cab, how it would affect both the driver and the passengers. In general, the first is the one that is most affected, but the second can also suffer the consequences, especially if it is hot or the new car has spent a lot of time in the sun.
The dangers of new car smell
For the studyThey were taken air samples inside an SUV brand new medium They were then measured using a technique called gas chromatography, which allows calculating the levels of gaseous substances present in the sample. Once these levels were calculated, they settled on those known to increase cancer risk and established their increased lifetime cancer risk (ILCR).
As its name suggests, this measure establishes how much a person’s risk of cancer increases throughout their lives. If he ILCR is below 10 raised to -6 is considered safe. If it is between 10 to the power of -6 and 10 to the power of -4, 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, in the event that the vehicle was a taxi, in which the drivers spend on average 11 hours and the passengers 1.5 hours, the risk of cancer from contact with formaldehyde would be quite high for both drivers and passengers. The same with acetaldehyde, although somewhat longer. And, with respect to benzene, there would only be a risk to the driver. On the other hand, it should be noted that this risk is greater as time goes by, since the car is heating up.
In fact, in the 12 hours that the experiment lasted, the temperature of the car fluctuated between 21 °C and 63 °C.
there are alternatives
It is not the first study to point out the risks of driving a new car. In fact, another one has already been published in which it was pointed out that it is enough 20 minutes of driving to be exposed to these cancer-causing substances.
For this reason, although it is necessary to continue studying to have a more concrete idea of what is happening, the authors of all these investigations give several pieces of advice. If possible, buy second hand cars, that no longer have these volatile organic compounds inside. On the other hand, resort to public transport as far as possible. And of course, avoid leaving the car in the sun for a long time, so that it does not get too hot.
It is also important air out the car new as far as possible steam clean seats and carpets to remove some of these toxic compounds and eventually use HEPA filters if possible.
In conclusion, you have to prevent that new car smell from lasting longer than it should. We may love it, but its consequences are much less pleasant.