Study: The Air Inside Our Cars Is a Problem

Thanks to seat belts and airbags we're supposed to be fairly safe from harm inside our vehicles. A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technologies suggests the very air inside the cars could be detrimental to our health, the Guardian reports. Researchers analyzed the air of 101 car interiors from model year 2015 or newer and found that all but 1% of samples contained at least one flame retardant that's been labeled a carcinogen or potential carcinogen. More:

• The most prevalent one: The flame retardant 1-chloro-isopropyl phosphate was found in nearly all the samples. The US National Toxicology Program labels it a potential carcinogen. CBS News adds the concentration of the chemicals was as much as five times higher in the summer because the heat accelerates the seats' off-gassing.
• The backstory: Flame retardants are applied to seat foam per US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations that have been in place for some 50 years and are designed to cut down on fire risk.
• But: The Guardian notes flame retardants' toxicity wasn't apparent at the time, and the retardants aren't the saving grace they were once considered. They do "little to prevent fires for most uses and instead makes the blazes smokier and more toxic for victims, and especially for first responders," said a rep for the International Association of Fire Fighters.
• A standout quote: As study author Rebecca Hoehn of Duke University puts it, "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 health component: CBS News notes the researchers couldn't precisely detail the health impacts the flame retardants could be causing, but they did cite a 2023 US National Toxicology Report that "found evidence of carcinogenic activity in ... rats and mice" exposed to the most frequently found chemical.
• Advice: Study co-author Lydia Jahl tells Fast Company that drivers should steer clear of "recirculation mode" when turning on the heat or AC and roll down the windows when you get in to flush out the air. "Of course, that means the flame retardants are getting into the air and will eventually make their way into waterways and wildlife, which isn't good," Jahl notes.

(More discoveries stories.)