The smell of a new car appeals to many car buyers. But now a new study indicates that that scent can be carcinogenic.
It smells good in a brand new car. But maybe it smells a tad too good. Some might even say dangerous. And now a new study indicates that the scent may be carcinogenic.
It is researchers from Harvard University in the USA and the Beijing Institute of Technology in China who have come to the conclusion that you may be risking your life in a new car.
And just through the nose. The risk of cancer is linked to the smell of a new car in cabins where the temperature is very high.
This is the conclusion of the researchers in the study published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science .
READ ALSO: Desperate MG? Gives away electric cars for free in Germany
The researchers investigated the air quality in new cars using sensors that can pick up different chemicals. The cars were sealed and parked outside for 12 consecutive days "under varying conditions".
The results of the air quality tests in the new cars showed that formaldehyde, a chemical compound that the US Environmental Protection Agency says can cause cancer, was detected in concentrations 34.9 percent higher than what Chinese authorities say is dangerous.
Acetaldehyde, another chemical that is also likely to cause cancer in humans, was found in concentrations 60.5 percent higher than the Chinese standards.
In total, the combination of a number of different chemicals after the trial was found to be at levels considered "a high potential health risk". Something which, according to the American and Chinese researchers, means that the chemicals behind the smell of new cars 'pose a high health risk for motorists'.
Incidentally, it is not the first time that the smell of a new car has been linked to a health risk. A study from 2021 concluded the same. Here, researchers from the University of California, Riverside said that staying in a car that smells like a new car can increase the risk of cancer.
And it's enough just to stay in such a car for 20 minutes. However, the researchers also have good and very simple advice for drivers in new cars – leave the window open!
Read more exciting news from and about the world of cars right here!
