Health Alert: What is there inside your car that can cause cancer?

Health Alert: Car has now become a necessity for almost everyone. But do you know that travelling in a car can be harmful for your health, it can even cause a fatal disease like cancer? Recently, a new study has found that people travelling in a car are inhaling chemicals that can cause cancer.

This study has been published in a journal named Environmental Science & Technology. In this study, the air inside 101 electric, petrol and hybrid vehicles manufactured between 2015 and 2022 was analyzed. This analysis was done in 30 different states of America.

What is so special about the air inside the car?

Researchers found that a flame retardant called TCIPP (a chemical that prevents fire) was found in 99 percent of the cars. America’s National Toxicology Program is investigating this because it has the potential to cause cancer. Also, two more flame retardants called TDCIPP and TCEP were found in most cars. These are also considered to be carcinogenic.

“If people spend about an hour a day in their cars, this could be a serious health problem,” said lead researcher Rebecca Hoene, a toxicology scientist at Duke University. “It’s even more dangerous for people who drive for long periods of time or for children who drive in cars, because children breathe in more air per body weight than adults.”

What is a flame retardant chemical?

Flame retardant chemicals (FRs) are used to prevent fire in vehicles so that vehicles meet safety standards. Apart from this, this chemical is also used to prevent fire in electronics, furniture, building materials. These chemicals do not completely bind with the material, due to which they slowly get mixed in the surrounding air and dust. 

In America, the air inside the cabins of 101 vehicles manufactured in 2015 or later was tested. Apart from this, the seat foam of 51 vehicles was also tested. Flame retardants called organophosphate esters (OPEs) were found in large quantities in the vehicles. The highest among these was TCIPP, which was found in 99% of the vehicles. TCIPP was also found in the highest quantity in the seat foam.

It was also found that the amount of TCIPP varies according to the season. In summers, it is 2 to 5 times more than in winters. The amount of TCIPP was also higher in the air of those vehicles whose foam contained TCIPP. This clearly shows that flame retardants used on seats and other places in vehicles can be dangerous for humans. Especially in the summer season.

What is the harm from fire retardant chemicals?

Many fire retardant chemicals (FRs) are dangerous for humans. Chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were widely used in electronics, furniture and vehicles until some time ago. These were so bad for health that they had to be banned in America. PBDEs have a very bad effect on the body, such as improper development of the brain, problems related to the thyroid gland, etc.

The chemicals (FRs) currently used are the cheapest way to prevent fire. That is why they are used. As an option, organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPEs) are now being widely used. These are now used in polyurethane foam, home furnishings, building materials, clothing, electronics and vehicles.  

Research shows that some OPEs are very dangerous for health. They can cause problems during childbirth, damage to fertility and even cancer. Also, fire retardant chemicals have also been considered dangerous. They also reduce fertility, cause thyroid-related diseases and can also cause cancer. Therefore, this chemical was put on the EPA Prop 65 list in California in 2011. 

How much time do Americans spend in the car on average? 

In America, 91% of people go to work by car and spend an average of 55 minutes in the car every day. Children also go to school, childcare and to the doctor by car. It is clear from this that the car is a means where humans can come in contact with these chemicals. Therefore, it is especially dangerous for children.

Now know how people were selected for the study?

To involve people in this research, an advertisement was given in the newsletter of an organization named ‘Green Science Policy Institute’. Only those people were selected in the study who live in America and who have a car of 2015 or later model. People willing to participate in the study told the model year of their vehicle, engine type and zip code.

The people were selected in such a way that vehicles from different places and with different types of engines could be tested. The research included 50% internal combustion engines (i.e. regular petrol/diesel vehicles), 25% electric vehicles and 25% hybrid vehicles. Duke University’s Institutional Review Board approved the study.

It is worth noting that this research was approved by a committee of Duke University. The job of this committee was to ensure that the people included in the research remain safe. But in this research, not the people but their vehicles were checked.

How was the air in the cabin of the vehicles tested?

Two seasons were chosen for the test – summer and winter. Because it was to be found out what effect the temperature has on fire retardant chemicals. The first sample kit was sent to 101 people in February and March 2022. These were to be kept in the vehicle between February and May. The second kit was given to 54 people in July-August 2022. These were to be kept in the vehicle between July and September.

The kit included a paper with instructions, disposable gloves, a silicone sampler, zip ties, aluminum foil, a ziplock bag, and a pre-addressed envelope for returning the samples. Each participant hung the silicone sampler from their car’s rearview mirror with a zip tie and left it there for seven days. After 7 days, each participant wrapped the silicone sampler in aluminum foil, placed it in a ziplock bag, and returned it to the laboratory. The silicone sampler was placed in an airtight container and kept at -20 °C until analysis.

Each participant reported where their vehicle was parked when collecting samples, as well as the time of placing and removing samples. The average daily temperature for the days when the vehicle was placed in the sample was obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) online climate database. The average temperature over the entire 7 days was calculated to determine the average temperature in the vehicle.

How was the research done on car seat foam?

Each person collecting the sample was asked to take out a small piece (about 1 cm) of foam from the front seat of their car. Usually a piece of foam was taken from under the seat. Complete instructions for this were given in the sampling kit. A total of 52 foam samples were collected and sent to the lab wrapped in aluminum foil. After receiving them in the lab, these pieces were placed in airtight clean glass vials and stored at room temperature before testing.