New car smell
DriverSense.com - Kevin Fleming
Touted as a perk in purchasing a new auto, the 'new car smell' is potentially hazardous to your health.
There are lots of things to like about buying a brand spanking new auto from your dealership of choice: little or no miles, shiny paint and, of course, the ever famous 'new car smell.' Nothing beats the smell of a brand new auto, as it reminds you every time you get in that you are indeed the owner of a brand new auto. Even air fresheners and special sprays cannot seem to replicate that special scent. But as with most things that appear to be good on the outside, the smell of a new car may in fact be detrimental to your health.
Where Does The Scent Come From?
Simply put, the new car smell comes from phthalates. Phthalates are softeners that are used in the manufacture of plastics. Autos are filled with plastic, which is most apparent on the dashes and other areas of the interior (depending on the model of auto involved). Dr. David Ozonoff, chair of the department of environmental sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health sums it up best: 'When you buy a new car and smell that great new car smell, you are largely smelling the phthalates that are in the plastics on the inside of the car.' The reason that phthalates give off such a smell is because they are not very good at bonding with plastic on a permanent basis. No matter the time of year, these phthalates leach out of the plastic over a period time, which is why an auto eventually loses its new car smell. For example, if you have ever noticed a film of sorts on your new auto’s windshield, you are looking at phthalates that have leached out of your auto’s plastic.
A 1995 study of the air inside of a brand new Lincoln Continental is quite revealing about the ingredients of phthalates. The ingredients involved in producing these phthalates, according to the study, include lubricants, solvents, adhesives and gasoline. Combined, it was shown that the mixture of these products produced over 50 volatile organic compounds. I don’t know about you, but those are items that I would not want to inhale on a daily basis, much less in a small closed-in cabin.
Health Hazards
The trouble with phthalates and the leaching effect is the fact that inevitably individuals inside of the car will inhale them. Individuals that are most at risk of negative health effects due to phthalates are those with 'multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS).' Essentially, MCS is the side effects of living in a world that has been polluted with petroleum-based chemicals. Long story short, you very well could be poisoning yourself by enjoying the new car scent. Everyone reacts different to petroleum-based chemicals (good or bad), so the symptoms may not be all that obvious, but specific issues can range from kidney and liver damage, to other mysterious illnesses.
Ventilation
I am not suggesting that everyone stop buying new cars, as surely the major auto manufacturers would officially be up a creek without a paddle. Nor am I suggesting that you run out to your driveway or garage and proceed to rip out your interior. Instead, use a bit of common sense if you are concerned about the potential hazards that the new car smell could cause to your health. The obvious solution is to try to ventilate your new auto if possible (depending on the time of year). For example, try driving around with your windows down if it’s nice out or even try keeping your windows down while your auto is sitting in the driveway for the first few months. If worse comes to worst (i.e. it is the middle of winter), you can purchase a special filter that is specially designed to remove the volatile compounds from your auto’s interior.
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