This Pleasant Smell May Be Dangerous

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This Pleasant Smell May Be Dangeroushttp://channels.netscape.com/autos/package.jsp?name=fte/newcarsmell/newcarsmellAh, there's nothing like that new car smell. Wait! Plug up your nose! Turns out that smell, which is caused by volatile organic compounds, could be very dangerous to your health.ABC News and the BBC News report that an Australian study by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has shown that "new car smell" can cause minor ailments such as headaches, sore throat and nausea, and possibly even major illnesses, such as cancer and abnormalities in unborn babies. The emissions can take just a few minutes to take effect, and may even cause accidents. The smell is generated by volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, in the plastic, glue and carpeting used in new cars that ooze benzene and formaldehyde, two known carcinogens. Just sitting in a new car can subject riders to toxic emissions several times the limits deemed safe for homes or offices, reports The Associated Press.What causes this? The new materials are unstable and so they give off gases. Excited new car owners can make the situation even more dire by using stain guards or cleaning solutions in their new vehicle. "Just as air inside our homes and workplaces is often much more polluted than the air outside, so sitting in a new car can expose you to [dangerous] levels of toxic emissions," the head of CSIRO's air quality control unit, Steve Brown, told the BBC.These harmful gases are the worst on hot days, but opening the car windows or vents can help clear the interior air, the Environment Working Group told ABC News. Still, you might have to pick your poison. If you're driving in heavy traffic in a big city, the smog could be more dangerous to your health than your car's carpet off-gassing. Here's the good news: When the smell fades in about six months so do the health risks. Until then, just drive with the windows down.