Scientists warn of serious secret risk that hides in almost every car
Cars might be dangerous for drivers in even more ways than the obvious ones, according to some new research.
The research has indicated that the overwhelming majority of cars produced in the United States since 2015 have cabins that include potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) materials in them.
The number stands at 99% of vehicles, according to the research published this month, and raises major questions about how safe we really are driving around.
Of course, it's not a matter of deliberately dangerous materials, but rather a coincidence. Cars have had their cabins full of flame-retardant or resistant materials for years now.
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This is a way to minimize the risk of fires spreading too quickly through cabins if they break out in the engine or elsewhere, and can make a real difference to the risk of burning or smoke inhalation.
However, this research indicates that some of these flame-resistant materials have links to carcinogenic properties, a connection that perhaps has been overlooked.
The study's lead author Rebecca Hoehn, a scientist at Duke University, said:Our research found that interior materials release harmful chemicals into the cabin air of our cars. Considering the average driver spends about an hour in the car every day, this is a significant public health issue. It’s particularly concerning for drivers with longer commutes as well as child passengers, who breathe more air pound for pound than adults."
The team analysed the air quality in 101 different cars for their study, and in 99% of them, they found tris (1-chloro-isopropyl) phosphate, which is commonly abbreviated to TCIPP.
This flame retardant chemical has been used extensively in recent years but is being investigated for links to cancer.
The concentration of potentially harmful chemicals like TCIPP was found to be higher when temperatures rose, too, suggesting that driving on hotter days might be more harmful.
This might all sound really alarming, and to a degree it is, but it's worth remembering that these trace amounts of harmful chemicals don't mean you should immediately abandon your car.
After all, gas emissions and air quality on the roads are already pretty terrible in places, so it's not as if you'd normally be breathing in pure and filtered air while driving.
The bigger question mark is for car manufacturers, now that they know about the potentially harmful links here.
If they're being really proactive, you'd assume that they'll find other ways to meet flame retardant safety regulations without resorting to using TCIPP, although that sort of change can take surprisingly long periods to filter through to supply chains and factory lines.
Until links are more concretely demonstrated between the chemicals and ill health, though, not much might change.