Americans may be exposed to potential carcinogens while driving their cars: study

As Americans head toward a hot summer packed with car travels, drivers might want to be mindful of potential harmful chemicals inside their vehicles.

According to a study published this week in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, flame retardants — chemicals typically added to seat foam and other automobile materials to prevent fires — are present within almost all brands of cars, at least among models dating from 2015. When seasonal temperatures spike, so too do the concentrations of flame retardants circulating inside a car’s cabin: as much as two to five times more in summer compared with winter, researchers from Duke University and the California-based environmental advocacy group the Green Science Policy Institute found.

Arlene Blum, executive director of the institute who co-authored the study, told The Dallas Morning News that flame retardant chemicals have been incorporated into consumer goods, such as clothing and furniture, since the 1970s. “Flame retardants were put into a variety of products with the idea that they would improve fire safety,” Blum said. “Nobody thought they were harmful.”

Later studies uncovered evidence suggesting flame retardants may pose a serious health risk. For example, a 2010 study by the University of California, Berkeley, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a type of flame retardant called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (or PBDEs) was associated with disrupting normal thyroid function during pregnancy. Other studies have found associations with one’s cancer risk and neurodevelopmental disorders.

In the new paper, Blum and her colleagues found that among 101 cars — spread out across 30 states — the major flame retardant chemicals present were organophosphate esters (OPEs). These chemicals are also mixed into materials to make them more pliable and plastic.

Participants hung silicone wristbands from their rearview mirrors for a week both during the winter and summer. Blum said the silicone passively absorbs any chemicals free-floating in the cabin air. Some 51 participants also collected and sent the researchers little nuggets of car seat foam.

Half of cars tested were gasoline-powered, a quarter were all electric, and the remaining quarter were hybrids.