Don’t Sit in Your Hot Car
And no, I don’t mean hot like that. I mean hot as in… temperature. Today’s topic is pretty scary, so I’m going to attempt to offset it a bit with some nice pictures of automobiles I’ve seen and wish were mine.
Now that it’s finally June (hi June!), it’s heating up in many parts of the world. Timed with summer’s rising temperatures, a new peer reviewed study has just been published warning us of a yet another new danger to be aware of this season: breathing the air inside of our hot cars.
The study found that nearly all cars contain toxic flame retardants linked to cancer and other health concerns. In the study, over one hundred cars were tested across twenty-two brands (year 2015 or newer) and every single one was found to have these toxic flame retardants. Why? Automobile makers are required by law to add flame retardants (primarily in seat foam, but also throughout a car’s interior) in order to comply with antiquated federal flammability requirements. These requirements, last updated in 1971, mandate the application of chemicals on surfaces throughout the car that might possibly catch fire (foam and synthetic fibers in particular).
Roughly half of the cars in the study were tested in both summer and winter. Guess what they found? The chemical concentrations from the flame retardant inside vehicle cabins were two to five times higher in the summer. Similarly, researchers found that the presence of the toxic chemicals in foam was about nine times higher during the summer months. Heather Stapleton, PhD and corresponding author of the study, explains why below:
“Chemicals are emitted from plastics at higher rates with higher temperatures. Therefore, levels of these chemicals in the cabin air of a vehicle will be higher in cars parked or residing in warm areas of the country vs cars in colder parts of the country. And people entering these cars will be breathing in this air with higher concentrations of flame retardants and receiving higher exposures.”
The same law requiring auto makers to use flame retardants applies to children’s car seats, too. This means many car seats in the U.S. are filled with these same toxic chemical flame retardants. Beyond the cancer risk, epidemiological studies have also shown that “the average U.S. child has lost three to five IQ points from exposure to this flame retardant,” according to Consumer Reports. Some companies have found ways to meet regulations without chemicals (using naturally flame resistant fibers like wool, for example) and are making non-toxic car seats. Still, there is a lot of work to do and, sadly, many car seats at lower price points are pretty loaded with these harmful chemicals. 😭
My goal in sharing this is not to be doom and gloom, I promise! I share this with you, dear readers (if you’re reading 🤓) to raise awareness and offer a few simple tips to reduce our exposure to said chemicals during the hot summer months. The temps might be high, but the likelihood of getting new laws passed (in the short term) is low. So, here are some simple ways to reduce our exposure right now:
Open all car doors and air out for ten minutes before before getting in.
Roll the windows down and let fresh air in (there’s an argument to be made here for convertibles!).
Park in the shade or in a garage. If parking in a personal garage, keep your windows rolled down (or cracked at least) to avoid build-up of toxic air.
If shade isn’t possible, a windshield visor or window shade can prevent your car from getting too hot.
Is it nice out and your destination close? Why not walk there (or bike, scooter, etc.)? While not always realistic, it’s something to keep in mind. (I’m always trying to walk places in LA, a city famous for exactly the opposite).
Sign the petition (this took me ten seconds) to get cancer-causing chemicals out of cars.
With that, wishing you a happy week (and summer) ahead of not sitting in hot cars! Until next Sunday!
