4 HAZARDOUS HEALTH IMPACTS DUE TO POLLUTANTS INSIDE THE CAR
We spend a significant amount of time in our cars. Whether we’re commuting to work or driving down to the supermarket, congested roads and traffic in long periods of time in our car cabins.
But whether the car is new or old, there is always some sort of a smell in the car cabin. This could be due to extended hours spent in the car, trash, smoking and even external pollution. We often ignore these smells and several signs that indicate bad air quality inside the car cabin. Most often than not, deodorants and fresheners are used to mask the smell but the quality of air inside the car cannot be controlled using air fresheners and deodorants.
There could be over 100 different chemicals in your car's cabin, including deadly benzene and formaldehyde. All these could be in the foam, in your car's seats, carpets, dashboard, or glue used to hold things in place. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are responsible for the strange, greasy fog scent that you can smell in your car. It’s considered to be one of the main causes of indoor air pollution in cars that contribute to a variety of health issues.
In fact, half of the pollutants that enter cars come from moving traffic. Inside the cars, concentrations of some air pollutants and toxic substances are almost ten times higher, and the general quality of the air is fifteen times worse.
But along with short-term respiratory problems, indoor air pollution contributes to several long-term respiratory problems. There is a lot of research being done on air pollution in cars. A number of reports have also suggested that indoor air pollution in cars has a negative health impact on your body.
External factors significantly contribute to the poor air quality inside the car cabin. Various pollutants such as Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and fine particles like PM 2.5 are considered to be very hazardous. To put it into perspective, PM 2.5 are particles that are smaller than the diameter of human hair; ranging from 0.1 to 2.5 microns. Inhaling these over extended periods of time could result in various respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis or emphysema.
The impact of pollutants on human health is significant but there is rarely any kind of awareness that brings out these issues. Various respiratory problems which could result in long-term illnesses are from air pollution in cars that are not highlighted enough, even today.
Four high-impact health hazards due to the air pollutants inside a car include:
1 - Permanent respiratory problems - It’s obvious that our body needs oxygen to function well but what happens when it’s not absorbed well by the body?
Our lungs absorb the oxygen from our air and the heart pumps this oxygen-rich blood to all the organs. Indoor air pollution in cars strains this process as these organs need to work a lot harder to deliver what is needed. The tiny air sacs in your lungs, Alveoli become weaker and weaker with time, making it harder for your body to absorb oxygen. This in turn results in severe complications in the long run. Respiratory issues such as shortness of breath, wheezing, asthma and chest pain are some pollution side effects.
2 - Impact on children's health - Children are affected the most by air pollution in cars. Since their organs are still in the developing stages and need constant care, particulate matter has a magnanimous impact. These particles could get lodged into the windpipe and lungs which might cause bacterial infections, allergies and other illnesses. Some clear indications would include nausea, difficulty in breathing and sneezing.
3 - Increase in Drowsiness & Fatigue - Have you ever felt extra drowsy in the car cabin? This is because your body is not able to absorb the right amount of oxygen it needs. Recirculating the same polluted air in the cabin could result in higher levels of air pollution inside cars. Excessive CO2 concentrations may cause the driver to react slowly or become drowsy, which may increase the risk of accidents.
Other toxic composites containing carbon dioxide (CO2) could affect the quality of the air indoors. It is well known that when HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) is operating in the recirculation mode, the passenger exhalation raises the CO2 level inside the vehicle. This in turn leads to innumerable pollution side effects.
Excessive composition of cabin CO2 concentration could also increase respiratory risks and skin diseases.
The best way to breathe fresh, pollution-free air is by installing car air purifiers with high-grade TRUE HEPA filters & having additional air purification capabilities like UV or Photocatalytic Filtration.
4 - ENT side-effects on you & your pet - The health effects of indoor air pollution can extend to various parts of your body. Some of the most common health risks from air pollution in cars are nose and throat infections. Some health risks also extend into long-term diseases in pets who have weak respiratory & immune systems like the case of hamsters, exotic birds and dogs. The side effects include visual disorders, eye and respiratory tract irritations and many more.
Air purifiers in cars could result in better air quality for you and your pets. Some of the best-selling car air purifiers keep you and your pets in mind thereby researching and developing high-grade air purifier solutions with advanced HEPA filters & purification technology that help you deal with pet dander too.
Every time you use your car, you might get headaches, motion sickness, or a sore throat. These are signs of in-car air pollution. Additionally, chronic in-car air exposure can lead to the poor immune system and even cancer. The effect of in-car air pollution on your health is also influenced by where you live. In some cases, car air pollution can make children more susceptible to DNA damage too.
Small steps in maintaining the inside of your car could significantly improve the air quality. Try cutting down on plastics (especially single-use), quit smoking inside the car, avoid using any kind of synthetic deodorizer or fragrances and wash the interiors regularly. All these could help improve the air quality in your car cabin.
Recent studies suggest that owing to the nature of our environment, air purifiers help sustain good air quality inside the car cabin. There are various portable air filters in the market but Reffair’s LivAir and QX50 are some of the best-selling air purifiers in the market which are equipped with the latest photocatalytic filtration technology.
The Reffair QX50 is the only car air purifier in the market which offers photocatalytic filtration technology. Reffair QX50 is equipped with the most advanced filter in the car air purification segment. This filter has an aluminium layer which has a honeycomb shape and it is coated with a titanium Di Oxide (Tio2) Reffair QX50 uses a multi-stage filtration process to effectively filter out hazardous particles and gasses suspended inside car cabins thus making sure that you breathe only pure air on the move. So, installing an air purifier inside the car is never a bad investment as it saves from a lot of health issues.
