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Driving a Brand New Car Could Come at a Cost to Your Health

For some, there’s nothing quite as luxurious as the smell of a brand new car.
That fragrance – a mix of volatile fumes produced by freshly crafted surfaces and upholstery – might smell like money, but with prolonged exposure in higher temperatures it comes at a cost to those who spend enough time in a freshly minted vehicle.
Chinese and US researchers found that levels of a number of cancer-causing chemicals exceeded safe limits inside a new car parked outside for 12 days.
Formaldehyde, a compound found in disinfectants, germicides, and gas stoves, was detected at levels that exceeded Chinese national safety standards by 35 percent. Acetaldehyde, a class II probable carcinogen, was found in concentrations that bypassed safe limits by 61 percent.
Benzene, a carcinogen found in paints, petrol, and cigarettes, also hit what would be unsafe levels for drivers who spend long hours in cars, but not their passengers.
Altogether, the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) from multiple volatile organic compounds detected inside the one new car used in the study was high enough to imply a “high health risk for drivers”.

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