Bad news for those who love that “new car smell”. A study published in Cell Reports Physical Science found that the chemical compounds that linger inside a new car comprise of a high percentage of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which have been identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possible carcinogens, ie. potentially cancer-causing.
Well, to be clear, it was one car. Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology conducted a 12-day field study on a “a new mid-size SUV plug-in hybrid electric vehicle”, which brand and model was not named, but was manufactured within 1 month of the experiment. All new cars and many manufactured products go through a period of “off-gassing” when volatile organic compound (VOC) are released as byproducts of the manufacturing process.
The team studied the chemicals released during different weather conditions per chance different temperature and humidity affected the concentration of different VOC. Tests found that the level of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were 34.9% and 60.5% above China’s safety standards. Other studies have found that prolonged exposure to these chemicals could cause nasal cancer, among other health complications.
And while some manufacturers are trying to reduce the level of VOCs in the cars that had just rolled off their production line, there is no consistent reporting of toxicity levels that consumers can refer to.
So, rather than trying to prolong the new car smell, new car owners should really be trying to get rid of it. Fortunately, VOCs do dissipate eventually, so airing the cabin after getting the vehicle and maybe even driving with the windows open for the first few months could reduce the impact of these chemicals on the occupants’ health.
Having that study be conducted in China is a bit like preaching to the choir when it appears that the Chinese do not care for that new car smell anyway and would rather be rid of it.
