Toxic Substances in Automobiles - Guest Post

This article is from a guest contributor, Brian Turner who can also be found at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog found here. Thank you Brian.

Many people across the world rely on automobiles for their daily transportation and many turning to go green for the better of our universe. While most drivers and passengers remember to buckle up when in a vehicle, many don't protect themselves from a hazard that comes from within the vehicle -- toxic industrial substances.

Vehicles are manufactured from thousands of different components. These parts come from a variety of manufacturers around the world. While automotive companies usually monitor their supply chain, some manufacturers and parts suppliers use dangerous chemicals and heavy metals when producing components for a vehicle. Exposure to these chemicals can be a potential health hazard, with symptoms appearing months to years after exposure.

There have been many products used in older vehicles that were shown to be hazardous to human health. Asbestos are a natural mineral, found in some areas of the world. They have many properties that were favorable to engineers: they are electrical insulators, sound dampeners, and effective at preventing vibrations in vehicles like brake pads, hood liners, clutch plates, etc.

Asbestos were commonly used under vehicle hoods to dampen the noise from a running engine. As a vehicle was driven, fine particles of asbestos were often released from the vehicle hood. These particles were sucked into an automobile's ventilation system, where drivers and passengers would be exposed to these fine particles. People, especially mechanics, would breath in these asbestos particles, leading to lung cancers like mesothelioma years after exposure.

Modern vehicles have some chemicals that have been proven hazardous. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in creating plastics, polymers, and composite materials in vehicles. It's used in many applications today, ranging from vehicle dashboards to canned food liners. BPA is similar in structure to the human hormone estrogen. Recent scientific studies have shown that BPA is carcinogenic, leading to breast cancer and prostate cancer with chronic exposure. It has also been implicated in some types of cardiovascular disease.

There are several steps vehicle owners must take to protect themselves from these industrial chemicals. The 'new car' smell found in many vehicles may be popular, but is hazardous to human health. This smell is a combination of solvents, heavy metals, industrial chemicals, and binding resins. These chemicals are often released in warmer weather, especially after a vehicle has been sitting in direct sunlight.

Before getting in any warm vehicle, allow the doors to stay open for at least 30 seconds. After entering the vehicle, roll down the windows immediately. It's important to drive with the windows down for at least several minutes. This helps ventilate dangerous chemicals out of the air inside a vehicle. Never leave any young child sitting in a warm vehicle, and avoid spending time in any vehicle that isn't moving. While preventing all exposure is impossible, it's possible to reduce one's risk to a reasonable level.