Taking a seat in a new car couldn't be more pleasant. In addition to the satisfaction of being behind the wheel of a vehicle that has never been used, the smell that emanates from it is just as appreciable. Nevertheless, a recent study comes to play the killjoy. According to a team of American researchers, the air circulating inside new cars is indeed bad for our health. How is this possible?
People who have had the good fortune to acquire a new car know it well:the smell of the first uses is very pleasant. And yet, that same smell would be less than ideal for human health. A study to be published in Volume 149 of the journal Environment International (April 2021) compares the harmfulness of the air inside new cars to that of the gases emitted by exhaust pipes.
Researchers from the University of California at Riverside (United States) point out that across the Atlantic, citizens spend an average of one hour a day on the road to get to at their work. However, people driving a car more than twenty minutes a day would play with their health. In addition to the time spent in the vehicles, the scientists took into account previous studies regarding the level of chemicals present in the passenger compartments of new cars.
The fact that most people find the interior air of a new car pleasant is no coincidence . The researchers behind this study evoke an olfactory bouquet notably composed of benzene (C₆H₆) and formaldehyde (CH2 O). Not long ago, we briefly mentioned benzene, which gives off a sweet, sweet smell. This is found in particular near petrol pumps. It is also one of the components of cigarettes , as is formaldehyde. However, these very volatile chemical compounds come from plastics, adhesives, paints and other vehicle textiles. Present in the air, they therefore impact the driver and passengers. Long-term exposure can cause nausea , vomiting, skin rashes and in the worst cases, cancers. Unfortunately, most drivers spend well over twenty minutes a day in the cabin of their car.
Researchers have discussed some ways to preserve vehicle occupants . For example, this could mean opening the windows as much as possible. Using a motorcycle or other two-wheeler also helps to avoid exposure to these substances. Moreover, even if the smell of new disappears over time, the volatile compounds continue to diffuse. Scientists therefore recommend the use of less dangerous alternative materials in order to prevent risks. Will automakers hear this message? The future will tell.
