Report: New car smell not good

BOSTON ? Most owners of new automobiles welcome the interior’s factory-fresh aroma, but a report released Tuesday suggests that “new car smell” could pose a health threat.The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and the Ecology Center released the 2nd annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children’s car seats at www.HealthyCar.org.According to the data, over 200 of the most popular vehicles made in 2008 and 2009, and over 60 children’s car seats, were tested for chemicals that give off gases from parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats, and carpeting.”These chemicals become part of the air we breathe, contributing to ‘new car smell'” and a variety of acute and long-term health concerns, including birth defects and behavioral disorders,” said Cindy Luppi, a spokesman for the consumer group.Automobiles listed in the report that raised concerns were the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Suzuki Reno and the BMW 128i. Car seats listed as potentially dangerous were the Alpha Sport Vantage Booster and the Britax Marathon Onyx.The report also noted that the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day, when exposure to these gases is possible.As the formal legislative session winds down, legislators and health advocates urge a vote in the state House of Representatives on the Safer Alternatives bill, which has already passed the Senate, Luppi said.If passed by the House, the law would mandate that manufacturers abide by a timeframe during which they replace hazardous materials with safer ones.”Families should not have to worry about exposing themselves to toxic chemicals while driving to vacation destinations, school and work – especially children, who are most vulnerable to health damage from toxic hazards,” said Leo Sarkissian, executive director of The Arc of Massachusetts. “While the best car and child car seat manufacturers are starting to replace hazardous chemicals with safer components, far too many companies have not phased out these dangerous chemicals.”Despite the dangers posed by some cars and car seats, overall several automakers showed improvement over last year’s findings, including Mazda, General Motors and Nissan, the report stated.For example, General Motors, whose average vehicle ranking improved by 27 percent, showed the most improvement of the domestic automakers.Average child car seat scores improved by 28 percent overall, proving that toxic chemicals are not required for the manufacturing of child car seats and interior automobile components.Chemicals causing the most concern include: bromine, often found in flame-retardants; chlorine, which indicates the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC and phthalates); and lead and other heavy metals, which have been linked to health problems such as allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.”Federal government has dropped the ball in protecting our children from toxic chemicals so it’s up to the states to take immediate action,” said Rep. Paul Donato, a Medford Democrat. “No one wants children coming in contact with lead and other hazards simply by riding in their car seats, especially when this could be avoided through shifting to safer alternatives.”To sample the vehicles and car seats, the Ecology Center used a portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) device, which identifies the basic composition of any material. In each vehicle, 11 components were sampled, including: steering wheel, shift knob, armrest/center console, dashboard, headliner, carpet, seat front, seat back, seat base, hard door trim and soft door trim. Components sampled were those most likely to be touched or otherwise contribute to human exposure.