TOXIC BENZENE AND PARKED CARS - Benzene is a toxic chemical known to produce a variety of ill health effects, including anemia and cancer (specifically leukemia) in humans. The substance occurs both naturally and as a byproduct of human activities, e.g. as a component of petroleum-based products and products manufactured using benzene as a solvent (such as plastics, synthetic fibers, dyes, glues, detergents, and drugs). It's also a constituent of tobacco smoke. Low levels of benzene are typically present in outdoor air due to automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Thanks to vapors emitted by household products such as glues, paints, and furniture wax, even higher levels of benzene can sometimes be found in indoor air, especially in new buildings. In most cars, these items are made from plastics, synthetic fabrics, and glues, some of which are manufactured using benzene. Such items may "off-gas" trace amounts of benzene, especially under hot weather conditions. As to car air fresheners, there's precious little information available about the ingredients, though one European study found that some household air fresheners emit measurable amounts of benzene. It's not inconceivable that some car air fresheners do, too. The crucial question is how much. Might all of these potential emitters cumulatively give off enough benzene to harm your health? Most of the published studies wherein benzene levels were measured inside passenger vehicles have been done in traffic. So, while such studies have indeed found that in-vehicle benzene levels can significantly exceed those outside the vehicle, and could pose a human health hazard, this is mainly attributed to the presence of exhaust fumes.

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Toxic Benzene and Parked Cars

by David Emery

This viral message claims car interiors contain toxic levels of cancer-causing benzene emitted by dashboards, car seats, and air fresheners, and recommends opening windows to expel trapped benzene gas before turning on the car air conditioner.

True or false?

·      Description: Online rumor

·      Circulating since May 2009

·      Status: Grain of truth / Overblown (see details below)

·      Example: Email text contributed by Glennis A., May 11, 2009:

Car A/C (Air Conditioning) MUST READ!!!

Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car.
Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the air-conditioning after a couple of minutes.

Here's why:

According to a research, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car).

In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells.

Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft.

A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level...

People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession excessive amounts of the toxin.

Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver. What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff. So friends, please open the windows and door of your car - give time for interior to air out - dispel the deadly stuff - before you enter.

Our Analysis

While it isn't one hundred percent false, the above text is a font of misinformation. Don't let it scare you.

Starting with the basics, it's true that benzene is a toxic chemical known to produce a variety of ill health effects, including anemia and cancer (specifically leukemia) in humans.

The substance occurs both naturally (mainly as a component of crude oil) and as a byproduct of human activities, e.g. as a component of petroleum-based products (such as gasoline) and products manufactured using benzene as a solvent (such as plastics, synthetic fibers, dyes, glues, detergents, and drugs).

It's also a constituent of tobacco smoke.

Low levels of benzene are typically present in outdoor air due to automobile exhaust and industrial emissions.

Thanks to vapors emitted by household products such as glues, paints, and furniture wax, even higher levels of benzene can sometimes be found in indoor air, especially in new buildings.

Benzene in Cars

Do automobile dashboards, door panels, seats, and other interior components emit benzene, as claimed in the email?

Most likely.

In most cars, these items are made from plastics, synthetic fabrics, and glues, some of which are manufactured using benzene.

According to scientists, such items may "off-gas" trace amounts of benzene, especially under hot weather conditions.

As to car air fresheners, there's precious little information available about the ingredients, though one European study found that some household air fresheners emit measurable amounts of benzene.

It's not inconceivable that some car air fresheners do, too.

The crucial question is how much.

Might all of these potential emitters cumulatively give off enough benzene to harm your health?

What the Scientists Say

Most of the published studies wherein benzene levels were measured inside passenger vehicles have been done under driving conditions, in traffic.

So, while such studies have indeed found that in-vehicle benzene levels can significantly exceed those outside the vehicle, and could pose a human health hazard, this is mainly attributed to the presence of exhaust fumes.

Also, the amounts of benzene actually detected by researchers, albeit statistically significant, were much, much smaller than the amounts stated in the email.

A 2006 study summarizing all the data collected to date reported in-vehicle benzene levels from exhaust fumes ranging from .013 mg to .56 mg per cubic meter — a far cry from the 400 mg to 4,000 mg per square foot (do they mean cubic foot?) reported in the email.

Benzene Levels in Parked Cars

In the one study, we were able to find that measured benzene levels inside parked cars with their engines turned off.

The results were more benign.

Toxicologists took samples of the air inside both a new and a used vehicle under simulated hot-sunlight conditions, measuring the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including C3- and C4-alkylbenzenes, and exposing human and animal cells to the samples to determine their toxicity.

Despite the detectable presence of VOCs (a total of 10.9 mg per cubic meter in the new car and 1.2 mg per cubic meter in the old car), no toxic effects were observed.

Apart from noting the slight possibility that allergy-prone individuals might find their condition exacerbated by exposure to such compounds, the study concluded there is "no apparent health hazard of parked motor vehicle indoor air."

When in Doubt, Ventilate

Despite this finding, some drivers may still be concerned about the presence of any benzene vapors inside their car, especially given the World Health Organization's stated position that there is "no safe level of exposure" to the carcinogen.

They may also worry, per the email warning above, that turning on the vehicle's air conditioner might exacerbate their exposure to trapped toxins by recirculating contaminated air.

If that's the case, there's no harm done — and much peace of mind to be gained — by simply opening the windows and ventilating the car before turning it on.

David Emery is a freelance writer and avid chronicler of folklore and popular culture, with a special interest in the quick-fire folklife of the digital age.

Experience

Dubbed About.com's "urban legend guru" by Salon magazine and cited in the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post, the BBC and USA Today, David Emery has more than 18 years' experience as an Internet folklore expert and debunker of urban legends, hoaxes, and popular misconceptions. Other professional credits include stints as a newsroom librarian, staff writer for a TV sitcom, freelance journalist, and contributing editor of a satirical newspaper. Mr. Emery first won recognition in the online universe as an arch commentator on the outer limits of Net culture with Iron Skillet Magazine, "a compendium of offbeat views run through the blender of the author's savage sense of humor ... [with] on-target skewerings of strange ideas" (Houston Chronicle, 1997).

Testimonials

“[Emery is] a strong writer with a bright, amusing style. This fun, informative, and concise site is extremely easy to navigate and a good first step for those new to the subject.” – Brandon Toropov, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Urban Legends (Alpha Books, 2001)

“The best place to track urban legends is the About.com section run by guide David Emery. In addition to his usual smart debunking of various urban legends, he has been tracking rumors about the attacks since Sept. 11. “ – Sree Sreenivasan, “Keeping Track of Rumors and Hoaxes” (Poynter.org, 2002)

“This About.com subsite has been hosted for ten years by David Emery and frankly, he has done a great job. He is passionate about finding and debunking all those rumors, myths, pranks and odd stories. “ – Tim Malone, “Top 10 Sites to Debunk Urban Legends" (Tech Republic, 2008)

"David Emery's urban legend site at About.com has been a reliable source of information for years." – Jan Harold Brunvand, Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, Updated and Expanded Edition (ABC-CLIO, 2012)

Education

Mr. Emery holds a BA in Philosophy.

David Emery

Please join me in what promises to be a constantly entertaining, ever-enlightening exploration into the urban legends and folklore of the digital age.

https://www.thoughtco.com/is-there-toxic-benzene-in-parked-cars-3298894

AIR POLLUTION - The term "air pollution" is used so commonly that you may not think definitions are necessary. Some sources define smog as the presence of unnatural levels of ground-level ozone, while other sources say things like "fog mixed with smoke." A more modern and precise definition is "a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust." Officially, air pollution can be defined as the presence of harmful substances in the air, either particulates or microscopic biologic molecules, that pose health hazards to living organisms, such as people, animals or plants. Air pollution comes in many forms and may include a number of different pollutants and toxins in various combinations. Air pollution is far more than a nuisance or inconvenience. Air pollution causes the deaths of approximately 4.2 million people annually worldwide. The two most widespread types of air pollution are the ozone and particle pollution (soot), but air pollution also may include serious pollutants such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxins such as mercury, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and acid gases. Most of these pollutants are man-made, but some air pollution is due to natural causes, such as ash from volcanic eruptions.

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Air Pollution

What Is Air Pollution?

Definition, Facts, and Environmental Risks

By Larry West

The term "air pollution" is used so commonly that you may not think definitions are necessary. But the issue is more complicated than it first appears. 

Ask most people to define air pollution, and their first response is to describe smog, the smelly stuff that turns the air brown or gray and hovers over urban centers like Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Beijing.

Even here, though, definitions vary.

Some sources define smog as the presence of unnatural levels of ground-level ozone, while other sources say things like "fog mixed with smoke."

A more modern and precise definition is "a photochemical haze caused by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation on atmosphere polluted with hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen especially from automobile exhaust."

Officially, air pollution can be defined as the presence of harmful substances in the air, either particulates or microscopic biologic molecules, that pose health hazards to living organisms, such as people, animals or plants.

Air pollution comes in many forms and may include a number of different pollutants and toxins in various combinations.

Air pollution is far more than a nuisance or inconvenience.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes the deaths of approximately 4.2 million people annually worldwide.

What Constitutes Air Pollution?

The two most widespread types of air pollution are the ozone and particle pollution (soot), but air pollution also may include serious pollutants such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxins such as mercury, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and acid gases.

Most of these pollutants are man-made, but some air pollution is due to natural causes, such as ash from volcanic eruptions. 

The specific composition of air pollution in a particular location depends primarily on the source or sources of pollution.

Automobile exhaust, coal-fired power plants, industrial factories, and other pollution sources all spew different types of pollutants and toxins into the air.

While we think of air pollution as a condition describing outside air, the air quality within your home is equally important.

Cooking vapors, carbon monoxide from heating appliances, off-gassing of formaldehyde and other chemicals from furniture and construction materials, and secondhand tobacco smoke are all potentially dangerous forms of indoor air pollution. 

Air Pollution and Your Health

Air pollution hovers at unhealthy levels in almost every major U.S. city, interfering with people’s ability to breathe, causing or aggravating many serious health conditions, and placing lives at risk.

Many cities worldwide face the same issues, especially in so-called emerging economies such as China and India, where cleaner technologies are not yet in standard usage. 

Breathing ozone, particle pollution or other types of air pollution can seriously damage your health.

Inhaling ozone can irritate your lungs, "resulting in something like a bad sunburn within the lungs," according to the American Lung Association. Breathing particle pollution (soot) can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and early death, and it may necessitate emergency-room visits for people with asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

A great many cancers are traced to chemical air pollutants. 

Air pollution is also a problem in developing countries that are not yet fully industrialized.

More than half the world's population still cook their meals with wood, dung, coal or other solid fuels over open fires or on primitive stoves inside their homes, breathing high levels of pollutants such as particulate pollution and carbon monoxide, which results in 1.5 million unnecessary deaths every year.

Who Is Most at Risk?

The health risks of air pollution are greatest among infants and young children, older adults and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma.

People who work or exercise outside also face increased health risks from the effects of air pollution, along with people who live or work near busy highways, factories or power plants.

In addition, minorities and people with low incomes are often disproportionately affected by air pollution because of where they live, which places them at higher risk for illnesses related to air pollution.

Low-income populations often live near industrial or inner-city zones where factories, utilities, and other industrial sources may create unusually high levels of air pollution. 

Air Pollution and the Health of the Planet

If air pollution affects humans, it of course also may also have an impact on animals and plant life.

Many animal species are threatened by high levels of air pollution, and weather conditions created by air pollution affect both animal and plant life.

For example, acid rain caused by the burning of fossil fuels has radically changed the nature of forests in the U.S. Northeast, upper Midwest, and Northwest.

And it is now indisputable that air pollution causes shifts in global weather patterns — the raising of global temperatures, the melting of polar ice sheets and the coming rise in ocean water levels. 

How Can Air Pollution Be Reduced?

The evidence is clear that our personal choices and industrial practices can affect the levels of air pollution.

Cleaner industrial technologies are shown to lower air pollution levels, and it can be demonstrated that anytime more primitive industrial practices increase, so do levels of dangerous air pollution.

Here are some of the obvious ways that humans can, and have reduced air pollution: 

o    Reduction of fossil fuel burning in favor of renewable energy sources. Nations that obtain their electrical power from nuclear, hydroelectric, solar and wind power have lower pollution levels than those that favor the burning of coal or natural gas. 

o    Improved gas mileage in automobiles and the introduction of electric-powered vehicles. California, for example, once plagued with dangerous smog, has greatly improved its air quality through tight controls on automobile emissions standards. Similarly, reduction in the use of other internal combustion engines can reduce air pollution. The shift to battery-operated or electric lawn mowers and lawn equipment, for example, has a demonstrable effect on air quality. 

o    Reduction in agricultural burning — the method of clearing forested areas for agriculture — can reduce the level of smoke and carbon dioxide in the air. This is a particular problem in developing countries. 

o    Reducing wood burning can also reduce levels of smoke in the air. In some communities, wood fireplaces are now outlawed, greatly reducing dangerous levels of smoke in the air. Gas fireplaces are better than wood-burners, and even better are electric fireplaces that burn no fuels at all. 

o    Indoor air quality is improved when tobacco smoking is restricted by ordinance. Citizen pressure to restrict smoking in public places has a real effect on air quality. 

o    Reduction of chemical compounds in paints, adhesives, and solvents has improved the quality of indoor and outdoor air. Always look for low VOC materials for home improvements, and where practical, opt for water-based rather than solvent-based paints and other materials. Look for carpets, fabrics, and furniture that don't off-gas dangerous fumes. 

Controlling pollution is possible, but it requires the individual and political will to do so, and these efforts must constantly be balanced with economic realities, as green technologies are often more expensive, especially when they are first introduced. 

Such choices are in the hands of each individual: for example, do you buy a cheap but dirty automobile or an expensive electric car?

Or are jobs for coal miners more important than clean air? 

These complex questions are not easily answered by individuals or governments, but they are questions that should be considered and debated with eyes open to the real effects of air pollution. 

Larry West

Environmental Journalist

Education

B.A., Journalism and Creative Writing, University of Washington

Introduction

Environmental journalist with 20+ years of experience

Winner, Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting

Writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications since 2002

Experience

Larry West is a former writer for ThoughtCo who contributed articles for five years. He is a principal and professional writer and editor for Go West Strategic Communications. He has written about environmental issues for leading newspapers, magazines, and online publications. 

During his 20-year career in newspapers, Larry was part of an investigative team whose work was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He also received the Meeman Award for national environmental reporting from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Later, Larry served as press secretary and deputy chief of staff for a U.S. Representative and served as communications director for a U.S. Senator. He also managed public affairs for organizations including the Federal Aviation Administration, a global technology company, and one of the largest ports in the United States. In each of those positions, Larry was involved in environmental strategy, policy, and communications. 

Education

Larry studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He also taught research and writing courses in continuing education programs at the University of Washington and the University of Alaska. 

Awards and Publications

While working as a journalist for "The Seattle Times," Larry's work was awarded the Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting by Scripps Howard, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

ThoughtCo is a premier reference site focusing on expert-created education content. We are one of the top-10 information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a leading Internet measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers seek answers to their questions on ThoughtCo.

For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-air-pollution-1204103

AIR FRESHENERS - Air fresheners have been used to mask unpleasant odors for decades. The first type for home use were aerosols. These are sprayed into the air and create a fine mist of fragrance that lingers. When aerosols became unpopular due to health and environmental concerns, manufacturers reformulated air fresheners as scented oils, reed diffusers, solids, and gels. High-tech versions are heat activated or can automatically spray into the air throughout the day. Most air fresheners contain a variety of fragrances and essential oils. Fragrances are chemical compounds that have pleasant odors. Essential oils are naturally occurring oils typically obtained from plants. Small amounts of most air fresheners are usually not dangerous. Swallowing the gel-type evaporative beads or reed diffuser solutions can cause serious effects in children.

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Air Fresheners

Are they safe?
Of all the formulations, the evaporating beads and reed diffuser solutions have the greatest risk of serious toxicity when swallowed by children - the beads are more dangerous than other formulations because they are easy to swallow, can be swallowed in large quantities, and contain enough VOCs to cause serious effects.

Karen D. Dominguez, PharmD

The Full Story

Air fresheners have been used to mask unpleasant odors for decades. The first type developed for home use were aerosols.

These products are sprayed into the air and create a fine mist of fragrance that lingers.

When the use of aerosols became unpopular due to health and environmental concerns, manufacturers responded by reformulating air fresheners as scented oils, reed diffusers, solids, and gels.

High-tech versions are heat activated or can automatically spray into the air throughout the day. Even the names of the fragrances have been revamped.

Traditional scents such as "rose" or "lemon" have been replaced with more exotic sounding names such as "Tahitian spring mist" or "dewy citrus orchard."

Most air fresheners contain a variety of fragrances and essential oils.

Fragrances are chemical compounds that have pleasant odors.

Essential oils are naturally occurring oils typically obtained from plants. The oil contains the essence of the plant’s fragrance, hence the term "essential".

Examples of essential oils include cinnamon oil, pine oil, and lavender oil.

Liquid air fresheners, such as plug-in refill bottles and reed diffusers, typically contain fragrances and essential oils dissolved in a solvent like isopropyl alcohol, which is also found in rubbing alcohol.

The evaporation of the solvent helps carry the fragrance into the air.

Solid air fresheners, such as the cone-type products, typically contain the fragrance embedded in wax.

Gel products, such as the evaporating beads, allow slow evaporation that prolongs the presence of the fragrance.

Aerosols sprays use compressed gas propellants like butane or propane.

While many of the spray products are designed to just add fragrance to the air, others help remove odors by using disinfectants, which are chemicals intended to kill bacteria or mold.

An example of one of these disinfectants is ethanol, which is also found in alcoholic beverages.

Despite their popularity, there are concerns that these products increase indoor air pollution and pose a health risk, especially with long-term exposure.

Air fresheners release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.

A VOC is a type of chemical that turns into a vapor or gas easily at room temperature.

Health problems are thought to occur from the chemicals in the air fresheners and from their secondary pollutants.

Secondary pollutants are formed when a product’s chemicals combine with the ozone already in the air.

Even when these products are used as directed, there are concerns about health problems with repeated exposure.

Unintentional injuries have been reported with these products, including burns when flammable air fresheners have been ignited by a nearly flame.

Getting air freshener on the skin can cause some irritation and redness. Typically, the discomfort goes away after washing the area well.

Fragrances are known to cause allergic-type skin reactions, so a rash is also possible.

Small amounts of air freshener in the eye are expected to cause redness and irritation, but these effects should resolve within an hour after a thorough irrigation with water.

Medical evaluation should be obtained if eyes are not back to normal about an hour after irrigation.

Briefly inhaling a small amount of a spray air freshener might cause some coughing, choking, or difficulty catching the breath. These effects should get better quickly with fresh air.

Swallowing air freshener can cause toxicity ranging from minor irritation of the mouth to life-threatening effects.

Swallowing some of a solid, cone-type air freshener is not likely to cause symptoms from the fragrance because it is imbedded into wax, which limits the amount that can be swallowed.

Swallowing a small amount of wax is a choking hazard in young children, but is otherwise not expected to be toxic.

Liquid air freshener, when swallowed in small amounts, can cause minor irritation to the mouth, nausea, and vomiting. Swallowing large amounts can cause drowsiness or intoxication.

Swallowing spray air freshener can cause similar effects as the liquid types, but they are not typically swallowed in large amounts because it is difficult get a large quantity from a spray nozzle.

Of all the formulations, the evaporating beads and reed diffuser solutions have the greatest risk of serious toxicity when swallowed by children.

The beads are more dangerous than other formulations because they are easy to swallow, can be swallowed in large quantities, and contain enough VOCs to cause serious effects.

Symptoms can last a long time because the beads slowly dissolve in the intestine causing a prolonged release of the toxic chemicals.

The diffuser solutions are dangerous to children because they are packaged with open tops, allowing large amounts of diffuser solution to be swallowed. 

If you suspect someone has swallowed, inhaled, or gotten an air freshener product in the eye or on the skin, immediately check the webPOISONCONTROL^® online tool for help or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Prevention Tips

Keep air fresheners out of reach of children.

Follow the product directions carefully.

Avoid open flames near potentially flammable products.

This Really Happened

Case 1: A woman’s home had an air freshener that was designed to automatically spray fragrance into the air. The spray contained flammable chemicals that ignited when the woman lit a cigarette. The woman had burns on her face, ears, and scalp.

Case 2: A worried grandmother called Poison Control because her 12-month-old and 23-month-old grandsons had gotten into an Airwick product and ingested some of the scented oil.

   Both children were initially gagging. The children had their mouths rinsed out and were fine by the end of the call to Poison Control.

   The grandmother wanted to know if the children needed to be seen in the ER. Based on about the small amount that was potentially swallowed, it was determined that the children could be watched at home.

   Although toxicity such as excessive drowsiness can occur with ingestion of some scented oils, only minor irritation of the mouth and stomach was expected.

Poison Control contacted the grandmother a few hours later to check on the children, and they had not developed any symptoms since the initial gagging.

Case 3: A 2-year-old girl swallowed up to 20 air freshener beads, became very drowsy, and had a low heart rate. These symptoms lasted for days and the girl needed hospitalization for medical care.

The Bottom Line

The toxic effects of air fresheners differ depending on the formulation. Small amounts of most air fresheners are usually not dangerous.

Swallowing the gel-type evaporative beads or reed diffuser solutions can cause serious effects in children.

There are concerns about adverse effects on the environment and health with repeated exposures to air fresheners.

Karen D. Dominguez, PharmD
Certified Specialist in Poison Information

https://www.poison.org/articles/air-freshener-171