Billing it as the first-ever consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars, an advocacy group on Tuesday rated more than 200 models based on interior parts — from steering wheels to armrests — whose chemical components can break down over time.The Ecology Center tested 200 vehicle interiors for chemical content. In this photo, the group shows some areas in a 2007 Chevy Silverado and their chemical composition in percentages or parts per million. For the ppm numbers, 10,000 ppm represents 1 percent of weight, the group said.
"These chemicals become part of the air we breathe, contributing to 'new car smell' and a variety of acute and long-term health concerns," the Ecology Center said in announcing the ratings on Tuesday. "Since the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day, toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles is a major source of potential indoor air pollution."
"In general, new vehicles have levels of chemicals... exceed proposed guideline values and may be hazardous to your health," "The findings demonstrated that the air in the cabin of these cars was contaminated by high concentrations of a large variety of organic compound diffusing from the interior materials," the researchers said in the study, published in the journal Indoor and Built Environment.
The Ecology Center added that the same chemicals can also create environmental damage.
"When vehicles are discarded at the end of their life, the majority of plastic and other non-metallic parts are shredded and put in landfills or burned in incinerators," it said. "When discarded in landfills, harmful chemicals contained in vehicle plastics can leach out and contaminate soil and water. When incinerated, toxic chemicals are dispersed throughout the atmosphere."
The full ratings are online at www.healthycar.org