Motorists are at risk of inhaling carcinogenic substances in the car

Flame retardants in car interiors have the potential to contaminate drivers with carcinogenic substances.

KOMPAS/HERLAMBANG JALUARDI

Visitors try the spaciousness of a car cabin at the GIIAS 2021 automotive exhibition, Wednesday (17/11/2021).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Most car manufacturers have added fire retardant chemicals to seat foam and interior materials. However, recent research shows that these materials can expose car users to pollutants that are carcinogenic or cancer triggers.

The study report was published in the journalEnvironmental Science & Technologyon Tuesday (7/5/2024). “Our research found that interior materials release harmful chemicals into the air of our car cabins,” said main author Rebecca Hoehn, a scientist at Duke University.

According to Hoehn, considering that the average driver spends more than an hour in the car every day, this is a significant public health issue. "This is especially concerning for drivers with longer journeys and child passengers who inhale more air than adults," he said.

In this study, researchers detected fire retardants in the cabin of 101 cars made in 2015 or later throughout the United States (US). In total, 99 percent of cars contained tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), a fire retardant being investigated by the US National Toxicology Program as a potential carcinogen.

Most cars have additional organophosphate flame retardants, including tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), both of which are carcinogens according to California Proposition 65. These substances and other flame retardants are also associated with neurological and reproductive damage.

Around half of the cars were tested in the summer and winter seasons. Warmer weather is associated with higher concentrations of flame retardants because emissions from interior components such as seat foam increase due to higher temperatures. The vehicle's interior can reach up to 65 degrees Celsius.

The researchers also analyzed seat foam samples from 51 cars in the study. Vehicles containing TCIPP, which is suspected to be carcinogenic in their foam, tend to have higher concentrations of TCIPP in the air, making the foam a source of airborne fire retardants in the cabin.

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The majority of car interiors in the US contain the chemical tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP). This flame retardant substance is carcinogenic. Source: Environmental Science & Technology (2024)

Not much use

Flame retardant materials are added to seat foam to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 302 from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The standard for open flame easily ignited was first introduced in the 1970s and has remained unchanged.

"The firefighters are worried that fire retardants contribute to a very high cancer rate," said Patrick Morrison, who oversees health and safety for 350,000 firefighters in the US and Canada at the International Firefighters Association.

Filling products with hazardous chemicals does not do much to prevent fires in most cases. Instead, it creates more smoke and toxic fumes for victims and especially for first responders. "I urge NHTSA to update flammability standards that can be met without the need for fire retardant chemicals inside vehicles," said Morrison.

Vehicles containing TCIPP, which is suspected to be a carcinogen in its foam, tend to have higher concentrations of TCIPP in the air, making the foam a source of fire retardant in the cabin air.

The update will reflect changes in the flammability standards of furniture and baby products in California, which were updated a decade ago to modern standards without flame retardants. Specifically, this update has maintained, or even slightly improved, the safety of furniture fires and reduced the level of flame retardants in homes in the US.

Epidemiological studies show that on average, children in the US lose three to five IQ points due to exposure to a fire retardant used in cars and furniture. Furthermore, a recent research paper estimates that those with the highest levels of fire retardants in their blood have a four times greater risk of dying from cancer compared to those with the lowest levels.

Also read: Eight New Carcinogenic Substances That Trigger Cancer That Must Be Anticipated

"You may be able to reduce your exposure to flame retardant materials in your car by opening the windows and parking in a shaded area," said co-author Lydia Jahl, a senior scientist at Green Science Policy Institute.

However, what is really needed is to reduce the amount of fire retardant materials added to cars. Commuting to work should not pose a cancer risk, and children should not inhale chemicals that can harm their brains on their way to school.