As it appears Everything causes cancer these days, And now researchers are learning how to do it Our cars could expose us everything too potential Cancer-causing Chemicals. As it turns out, some of them are poisonous Chemicals used to treat car seat foam and slow the spread of fire can “off-gas” and enter the air in the car. This process is even more intensified in the Summertimeas warmer temperatures lead to an increase in outgassing.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (or NHTSA) forced the use of flame retardants in car seat foams in the 1970s, with the apparent goal of preventing and slowing the spread of car fires. We have learned a lot since the 1970s, and the National Toxicology Program is currently studying a fire retardant compound for this purpose Cancer-causing potential, while California’s Proposition 65 has already classified two flame retardants as carcinogenic. Forbes wrote,
They discovered that about 99% of the cabins in both seasons contained the flame-retardant tris-(1-chloro-isopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), which is being investigated by the National Toxicology Program as a potential carcinogen – and already is found TCIPP may increase the risk of carcinoma in rats. Other potentially toxic flame retardants such as tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP) were found in 73% of huts in winter and 100% in summer, while triethyl phosphate (TEP) was found in 85% of huts in winter and 96% of huts in summer. In summer, tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) was present in 23% of the huts in winter and in 59% in summer. According to the study, levels were higher in summer because warmer temperatures lead to an increase in outgassing, the release of chemicals from car interiors. To find out where in the cars the potentially toxic flame retardants were found, researchers tested foam seat samples from 51 cars and found that 33 contained potentially toxic flame retardants TDCIPP and tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP), both of which were classified as carcinogenic in California’s Proposition 65.
This study measured cabin air in 101 different vehicles electric, gasoline and hybrid cars in 30 states between 2015 and 2022, in both summer and winter months. The cabin air inside electric vehicles The values measured in the study showed significantly lower levels of these chemicals than the cabin air in both internal combustion engine and hybrid vehicles. In the summer months it is even up to 14 times lower. It is noted that the differences may be due to other factors, as some brands were more represented in the study than others.
The Fire-Retardant foam slows the spread of fires by 25 percent compared to untreated foam, but critics argue that the chemicals affect the spread of fires Fires smokier and more toxic to victims and first responders. The Forbes The article notes that, compared to the general population, firefighters face a 9 percent higher risk of receiving a cancer diagnosis and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer due to exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, such as those used for Treatment of car seat foam can be used.
The purpose of this study is to encourage NHTSA to update its standards established half a century ago and eliminate the use of flame retardants due to their potentially harmful effects. Consumer Reports issued a statement on this issue today, This reflects the concerns the study uncovered. The state of California has replaced its open flame test for upholstered furniture with a similarly effective smoldering test that can be performed without the use of cancer-causing chemicals.
Consumer Reports argues that NHTSA should follow California’s course to minimize fire risk while minimizing unnecessary exposure to scientifically proven carcinogens. After learning that carcinogenic air is widespread in cars, I will be more conscious than ever about opening all windows to ventilate my car.