We have all experienced that strong whiff of chemical scent that hit us smack bang in the face as we perform that song and dance that we usually do as we settle ourselves into our car seats in this summer heat. Occasionally it crosses my mind at that very moment how many harmful chemicals are filling up my lungs. With the scolding rays of sun hit the surfaces of the  leather seats and plastic dashboard pinging and reflecting every corner. That smell is actually volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are off-gassed from materials such as; hard plastics, elastomers, rubber, natural or synthetic leather, fabrics and fibres that are used to equip the passenger compartment¹. The presence of some chemicals has been found to be five to ten folds higher in car interiors compared to homes and offices². These compounds may impact your health as well as your driving ability. A survey in 2005 of 800 new car buyers by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport found that 51.5% of new car buyers experienced at least one sensation of what it termed ‘sick car syndrome due to the odour of their new car’s interior³. These adverse effects encompass drowsiness, headaches and dizziness, eye irritation, respiratory problems, throat irritation, fatigue, nausea, skin irritation, and toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects⁴.

Car manufacturers have been spurred on to come up with solutions to this issue. In 2014, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Inland transport committee endorsed a proposed action plan to create globally recognized interior air quality standards for cars (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1143)⁵. Lexus is offering a leather seat alternative called NuLuxe which is manufactured in a process that produces no VOCs and reduces carbon emissions by as much as 65 per cent⁶. Also, Volvo cars vehicles have the first full automotive cabin air filtration system to be certified asthma & allergy friendly® by Allergy Standards Ltd (ASL) and it is scientifically proven to reduce exposure to pollen allergens and keep the concentration of ions, ozone and VOCs remained extremely low inside car cabins⁷.

So since I have relayed the problem, I need to do my research and look at some DIY solutions to this nagging dilemma that has been churning in my overworked brain. Apparently, tinting or any type of filming has been proven to have the greatest potential for decreasing mobile air conditioning energy, higher fuel savings, and reduced emissions⁸. As directly exposed cabin surfaces are estimated to raise the cabin’s temperature distribution by 30°C in comparison to surfaces that are shaded by 10°C⁹. This leads to hotter interiors such as the dashboard and rear board releasing more VOCs per unit time and area⁹. However logically speaking I don’t think these numbers apply to Kuwait’s climatic conditions because guys let’s not forget we are the hottest place on earth and temperatures of 50°C and more are nothing strange for us. Therefore, roll down your windows for a few minutes to neutralize those “fumes”. To ensure that you maintain acceptable VOC concentrations, the interior temperature should be set to no higher than 35.6°C and that’s including natural ventilation in the car, while later on, you can hike it up at an appropriate time when the car is running¹⁰. Try not to place the air conditioning on full blast to combat the heat as it will only cause gas emissions that in turn also contribute to in-vehicle VOCs, it is a vicious cycle! Some other tips to clear the air include changing your car’s air filter every 19,000 to 24,000 km and that’s not even considering our dusty conditions which are over 90% of the year. Also, funnily enough, placing your car out in the sun with the windows is, a great way to get rid of that new car smell. Plus, putting a container of baking soda or charcoal and doing a wipe down with some white vinegar solution will help absorb those odours.

Other points that factor in the concentration of in-car VOC emissions are; car age (the newer your car the higher the concentration of VOCs it offset if it only really decreases after the three-year mark), mileage, relative humidity, types of interior materials, air exchange rate, fuel type, refuelling process, moving conditions (parking or static status) and whatever air freshener you choose to use³. So just remember during this summer heat roll down your windows for a few minutes to avoid filling your lungs with all those nasty VOCs.

Reference list:

1.Faber, J., Brodzik, K., Gołda-Kopek, A., Łomankiewicz, D., Nowak, J., & Świątek, A. (2014). Comparison of air pollution by VOCs inside the cabins of new vehicles. Environ Natural Resour Res, 4, 155-165.
2.Gearhart, J., Posselt, H., Dempsey, D., Costner, P., Griffith, C., & Juska, C. (2006). Toxic at any speed. Chemicals in cars and the need for safe alternatives. A report by the Ecology Center. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
3.Autocar. (2020). ‘New car smell’ is fading away as regulators clean up cabins. Retrieved August 2, 2022, from https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/‘new-car-smell’-fading-away-regulators-clean-cabins
4.Brodzik, K., Faber, J., Goƚda-Kopek, A., & Łomankiewicz, D. (2016, September). Impact of multisource VOC emission on in-vehicle air quality: test chamber simulation. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 148, No. 1, p. 012033). IOP Publishing.
5.United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESC). (2018). Mutual Resolution No. 3 (M.R.3) of the 1958 and the 1998 Agreements concerning Vehicle Interior Air Quality (VIAQ) (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1143). United Nations. https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29resolutions/ECE-TRANS-WP29-1143e.pdf
6.Motavilli, J. (2022, February 17). Automakers Offer Eco-Friendly Seating Materials. Forbes. Retrieved August 3, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/wheels/news/eco-friendly-leather/
7.O’Donovan, A. (2022). New Car Cabin Air Quality Standard for Automotive Industry Launched by Allergy Standards. PRWeb. Retrieved August 2, 2022, from https://www.prweb.com/releases/2022/6/prweb18736172.htm
8.Gure, N., & Yilmaz, M. (2013). An alternative way to reduce vehicle emissions in summer with the help of car window filming and car window filming’s economic benefits over WA, NY, NC, USA and Istanbul, Turkey. In 12th Annual CMAS Conference (pp. 1-6).‏
9.Tong, Z., & Liu, H. (2020). Modelling in-vehicle VOCs distribution from cabin interior surfaces under solar radiation. Sustainability, 12(14), 5526.‏
10.Chen, X., Feng, L., Luo, H., & Cheng, H. (2014). Analyses on influencing factors of airborne VOCs pollution in taxi cabins. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 21(22), 12868–12882. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3223-y