Indoor Pollution in Your Car

We spend hours a week breathing in the air that is inside of our cars. What health impact does breathing in that air have on us?

In a recent study published in Environmental Science Processes and Impacts, researchers reveal how dangerous the air is inside of your car, when you ride in your car through heavy traffic.

This study found the air pollution in your car is up to 40 times greater when you're stopped at a red light or caught in a traffic jam than when traffic is moving freely. The aim of the study was to evaluate the ventilation systems of the cars based on measurements of particulate matter in the car during different driving conditions.

The results of the study became most interesting when it was discovered the levels of air pollution were significantly different for small and large particulate matter.

It appears the ventilation systems of the cars tested more efficiently cleaned the incoming air of coarse or large particulate matter, allowing small particulate matter to slip into the car.

The researchers measured the particle size of pollution in the car at each intersection. When the car was stuck in traffic, shutting the windows and turning off the fan and heat improved the air quality by reducing the concentration of the smallest, and most hazardous, particles by 76%.

In comparison, when stopped at traffic lights and the fan was drawing air from the outside, the percentage of large particle pollution fell and small particle pollution rose.

Roll Up the Windows and Recirculate the Air:

The consistent recommendation from these studies has been to roll up your windows and use the setting to recirculate the air in your car when you are in heavy traffic or stopping frequently at red lights.

While shutting the windows and recirculating the air in your car is important to reduce air pollution, in newer and more air tight cars you may experience a build-up of carbon dioxide. The car may begin to feel "stuffy" when two or more people are breathing the same air for an extended period of time.

Too much carbon dioxide in the car may also increase your experience of drowsiness, fatigue, confusion, headache and sleepiness. These are dangerous symptoms to experience while driving a car. To prevent this from happening, researchers recommend you pull in outside air for one to two minutes every 10 to 15 minutes to facilitate air exchange, while still minimizing over exposure to air pollution.

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