Wajeez Articles: [Guest Post] Because Some Cars Are Toxic
With the average human now spending anywhere between five and fifteen years of their life inside their car, it can be disturbing to hear that there are some deadly chemicals lurking within. Drivers and passengers are not going to click on their seat belt and fall over, but it would be prudent for anyone that is going to spend an extended amount of time in their automobile to understand some of the chemicals being used within vehicles and the health risks that they pose.
Many of the toxins and chemicals that are placed inside vehicles are not necessarily deadly, but they can exacerbate certain pre-existing conditions such as allergies or asthma. One of the most popular chemicals used within the interior of an automobile is Phthalates. According to the Ecology Center, a non-profit health organization, phthalates are used in increasing quantities to aid in protecting leather and vinyl as well as making them softer to the touch. Phthalates have been proven to trigger asthmatic episodes after prolonged exposure and produce allergy-like symptoms.
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are another major concern within vehicles. Many of these, such as hydrocarbon, are completely inert a majority of the time and have almost no chance of harming a human. The real concern comes when the temperature in the vehicles pushes past 100 Fahrenheit (37 Celsius).
This can be the result of the ambient temperature or if the automobile catches on fire. That is when these VOCs begin to lose their molecular bond and can become airborne, dramatically increasing the chances that they will harm a human.
While there have been vast improvements to the amount of toxins inside of vehicles in recent years, there are still some very deadly chemicals that were once common in manufacturing plants. Lead has been very popular choice to use on the body and paint of a vehicle. Those that sand or paint vehicles regularly should always wear the correct safety gear when in or around vehicles.
Another common toxin that was used in many of the moving parts of a vehicle like brake pads, linings, clutch plates, etc. was asbestos. This chemical was used to line pieces of metal that came into contact with one another to reduce the chances of combustion. Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos has been linked with various cancers such as Mesothelioma.
Very rarely are these dangers going to produce life-threatening results after sitting inside of a vehicle. With that in mind, it is still important that drivers or those that regularly work with vehicles to remain aware of some of the dangers that these toxins present and the dangerous results that they could produce.
About the Author:
Brian Turner has been working with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance as an environmental health and toxic substance safety advocate since June of 2007. Brian brings a tremendous amount of research and awareness experience in environmental health risks, environmental carcinogens, and green building expertise. He can be reached at brian.turner752 (@) gmail (.) com
