A new study found that the air inside approximately 99% of vehicles contains significant carcinogens due to chemicals used as flame retardants.
What happened?
A research team sampled the interior air from over 100 cars, all made in 2015 or later. And according to reporting from the Guardian, "virtually all" of the samples contained 1-chloro-isopropyl phosphate, a chemical that the US National Toxicology Program has labeled a potential carcinogen.
These results mean that anyone who spends significant time inside a car is at high risk of developing complications from these toxic chemical compounds, which have been linked to reproductive and neurological issues, including reduced IQ in children, per the journal Toxics.
Why is this concerning?
Researchers have long known that external vehicle pollution, such as tailpipe emissions, poses health risks — but now the danger inside the car is becoming more apparent.
"Considering the average driver spends about an hour in the car every day, this is a significant public health issue," the study's lead author, Duke University researcher Rebecca Hoehn, told the Guardian. "It's particularly concerning for drivers with longer commutes as well as child passengers, who breathe more air pound for pound than adults."
The cancer risk is severe; people whose blood contains certain levels of flame retardants are four times as likely to die from cancer, according to the JAMA Network.
In addition to 1-chloro-isopropyl phosphate, most cars also contained traceable levels of organophosphate esters, which are linked to various harmful effects for children, from asthma to brain damage. In fact, some epidemiological studies have found that the average U.S. child has already lost three to five IQ points just from exposure to one type of flame retardant used in cars and furniture.
The most frustrating aspect is that flame retardants are largely ineffective. They do "little to prevent fires for most uses and instead makes the blazes smokier and more toxic for victims, and especially for first responders," Patrick Morrison of the International Association of Fire Fighters told the Guardian.
What's being done to address it?
Given these findings, the research team recommended completely eliminating the use of flame retardants in cars. And while that's likely many years away, it may eventually be possible. Some states are already reducing the presence of these toxic chemicals in furniture, and the federal government is beginning to impose limits on them, per the Green Science Policy Institute.
Others are also looking to innovate on nontoxic flame retardant alternatives, such as aqueous solutions or even fungus.
For existing car owners, though, parking in the shade or rolling down windows can help dilute the presence of toxins — though nothing will be as safe as opting to walk or bike instead.
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