Study suggests ‘new car smell’ might be dangerous

The distinctive “new car smell” may contain dangerous chemicals that increase a person’s risk of cancer, a new study has found.

“Cars, trucks and SUVs all have one thing in common,” said science and technology website Phys.org. “When purchased brand-new, they come with what has come to be known as that ‘new car smell’”, which is “made up of chemicals released into the air by materials used to make cars – a process known as off-gassing”.

Researchers from Harvard and the Beijing Institute of Technology monitored the levels of 20 chemicals commonly produced from materials inside an SUV over a 12-day period. They found at least one carcinogen known to cause cancer: formaldehyde. It exceeded the acceptable limit of 100 micrograms per cubic metre by more than a third.

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The study, published by the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, indicated that such chemicals posed “a high health risk for drivers”, said The Telegraph.

The team also found acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen, exceeded Chinese government safety standards by 61% and described levels of benzene as being unsafe for drivers breathing it during long drives. Concentrations of the chemicals increased when the weather was warmer, the study found.

Oliver Jones, professor of chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, told The Telegraph that while the study did not look at the health effects of these chemicals, “it is the dose that makes the poison” and that “just because something is present does not automatically mean it's a problem; it’s about quantity”.

However, “‘new car’ smell is not without risks”, he continued. “We know from previous research that for some people it can cause health problems such as dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath. Health-wise the best new-car smell is probably no smell.”

To mitigate the effects of the chemicals, the authors of the study suggested that drivers of new cars keep the windows open.