New Car Smell: Does it hazardous? (Part 2)

One study, reported this on December 2001, was administrated by Stephen K. Brown and Min Cheng of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial analysis Organization (CSIRO). The reading took a glance at VOCs in 3 new 1998 vehicles by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of air samples taken from the vehicles once that they had been sealed for many hours. The vehicles were re sampled at numerous intervals for up to 2 years.

The CSIRO researchers detected thirty to forty VOCs inside the cars, the foremost prevalent being toluene, acetone, xylenes, styrene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, varied C5 to C12 alkanes, ethylbenzene, and ethylene glycol butyl ether. The total VOC concentrations for the cars were initially as high as sixty four mg per m3 of air.

As a contrast, the report notes that total VOCs in the indoor air of new buildings is on average 20 to 40 mg per m3, while established buildings have VOC levels generally below 1 mg per m3. Negative sensory effects--headaches; drowsiness; nausea; respiratory distress; and eye, nose, and throat irritation--are likely to occur at concentrations above about 10 mg per m3, according to the report.

The total VOC concentrations within the cars fell off exponentially over time, the CSIRO researchers note, reaching regarding 1.5 mg per m3 once six months. For example two cars tested after 2 years had 0.4 mg per m3 of total VOCs. Outdoors air measured next to the cars was regarding 0.1 mg per m3. There is also a temperature dependence to the VOC level: when the temperature rises within the automotive, thus will the overall VOC concentration.

Not all of the VOCs are essentially associated with original materials within the passenger compartment, the CSIRO report points out. Benzene and alternative compounds from fuel or exhaust and siloxanes from cleaning product will contribute considerably to total VOCs.

CSIRO is seeing developing an eco air label to assist customers opt for environmentally friendlier environments--such as cars, airplanes, offices, and homes--that have probably healthier indoor air. Indeed, automakers attempt to eliminate components that offer off high levels of VOCs.

The consequence of those determinations is that some new cars simply do not smell like new cars anymore. However therein lies the twisted irony of human nature. A bunch of air-freshener product with new automotive scent are designed to stay cars smelling showroom contemporary indefinitely. None of those product, sold at automotive washes and automotive supply stores, has an ingredient list on the label--as "household product," ingredient labels are not required.

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