Heat causes toxic gas from products designed to retard fires to circulate in cars, according to a US study published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Some parts of the interior of many vehicles contain flame retardants (FRs), such as organophosphates. These products are also used in foams for furniture, electronic devices or clothing.
A study conducted by researchers at Duke, Berkeley and Toronto universities shows that one of these products, triphosphate (TCIPP), was present in the air of 99% of the vehicles tested.
Tumors of the liver and uterus
The experiment involved hanging a sample of silicone from the inside rearview mirror of recent cars for a week and then analyzing the substances found in the sample. Under normal conditions, TCIPP concentrations were found to be similar to those found inside the home.
But as the temperature rises, both outside and inside the cabin, the concentrations of this substance increase sharply, multiplied by two to five times. The presence of TCIPP in seat foams enhances this effect.
The problem is that TCIPP is potentially carcinogenic, according to a 2023 US Department of Health report. Tested on rats and mice: it causes liver and uterine tumors.
TCIPP is already replacing another flame retardant product in passenger cabins, TDCIPP, which was listed as a carcinogen in California in 2011.
Related Posts
Do you often get herpes? Here’s how to avoid them
How to hide varicose veins on the beach?
