Car interior materials emit harmful substances suspected to cause cancer - study

The air inside all personal vehicles is contaminated with harmful flame retardants - including those known or suspected to cause cancer - according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Automakers add these chemicals to seat foam and other materials to meet an outdated federal flammability standard with no proven benefit to fire safety, the researchers said.

"Our study found that interior materials release harmful chemicals into the air of the car interior," wrote lead study author Rebecca Hawn, a Duke University scientist. - Considering the average driver spends about an hour a day in the car, this is a serious public health concern. This is especially true for drivers who have longer commutes, as well as child passengers who breathe in more air in pounds than adults."

Researchers found flame retardants in the interiors of 101 vehicles (model year 2015 or newer) from across the United States. A total of 99% of the vehicles contained tris (1-chloro-isopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), a flame retardant that is being investigated by the US National Toxicology Programme as a potential carcinogen. Additional organophosphorus ester-based flame retardants were present in most vehicles. They have also been linked to neurological and reproductive disorders.

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