For some, there’s nothing like that new car smell.
The smell of a new car could signal a significant life milestone or bring a sense of freshness, but a new study shows there could be another cost coming with the purchase of a new vehicle – your health.
Researchers at Harvard University and the Beijing Institute of Technology in China conducted a study on the chemicals that create the new car smell, finding that the smell could increase the risk of cancer, and it doesn’t take much time to be in the vehicle for it to become a hazard.
The study was published Wednesday in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.
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How did researchers study the new car smell?
Researchers examined the air quality in new cars using sensors to detect various chemicals. The cars were sealed and parked outside for 12 consecutive days “under varying environmental conditions.”
What did researchers find?
The results in the new cars showed formaldehyde, a chemical compound the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says could cause cancer, was detected at levels 34.9% higher than Chinese national safety standards.
Acetaldehyde, a probable human carcinogen, was found to be at levels 60.5% higher than Chinese national safety standards.
In total, the combination of volatile organic compounds was found to be in levels that would bedeemed “a high potential health risk,” meaning the chemicals in the new car smell posed a “high health risk for drivers.”
“Detailed calculation indicates that the inhalation route plays a significant role in the risk of cancer for drivers and passengers exposed,” the study said.
Researchers also found the concentration of chemicals increased when the weather was warmer.
This isn’t the first time the new car smell was found to be harmful. A 2021 study conducted researchers at the University of California, Riverside found spending a higher amount of time in a new car could increase cancer risk, and people can be exposed to unsafe levels of chemicals in as little as 20 minutes.
What is formaldehyde? What is acetaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is “a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature and has a strong odor,” according to the EPA. It can be found in various household products, as well as permanent press fabrics, paints and coatings, lacquers and finishes.
Acetaldehyde is “an intermediate in the synthesis of other chemicals,” the EPA says, and is used in the production of perfumes, polyester resin and basic dyes.
What’s next?
Researchers said their findings “will be helpful for vehicle designers in selecting appropriate in-cabin materials with lower potential emissions to achieve effective source control and thus improve in-cabin air quality.”
They also say opening a car window could “rapidly reduce” the emission of the concentrations.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.