Is it easy to inhale "carcinogens" while driving in summer? Study: "Flame retardants" may triple the cancer risk
Cars used for daily commuting may also have hidden cancer risks? According to a recent study published in “Environmental Science & Technology”, “flame retardants” added to roof foam, seats, and dashboard electronics in vehicles manufactured in 2015 may have the potential to cause cancer, and The number of flame retardant molecules released in cars in summer is 2-5 times that in winter.
You can prevent fire but not cancer? Study: Flame retardants in cars may pose cancer risk
Duke University and the Green Science Policy Institute (GSPI) co-sponsored the study. The team gathered 101 subjects who owned vehicles manufactured after 2015, among which the proportions of gasoline vehicles, gasoline-electric vehicles and electric vehicles were 50%, 25% and 25% respectively. The research team placed samplers inside their vehicles and began sampling for seven days. The samplers can be used to measure different types of pollutants in the air inside the vehicles. In addition, each subject was asked to collect a small sample of foam from the vehicle.
Preliminary sampling results show that a total of 17 flame retardant components were detected, among which organophosphates (OPE) were the most commonly detected flame retardant category. More than 60% of the samplers detected 4 types of organophosphates: triethyl phosphate (TEP), triisobutyl phosphate (TIBP), tributyl phosphate (TNBP) and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TCIPP).
Is the concentration of flame retardants in cars higher in summer? Are electric vehicles safer than fuel vehicles?
The report points out that the concentration of flame retardants does not vary significantly depending on the vehicle make, model, year and country of manufacture. Looking at the power mode, the TCIPP concentration of electric vehicles in winter is about 6 times lower than that of gasoline vehicles, and the TNBP concentration in summer is about 3 times lower. Compared with gasoline-electric vehicles, the two data of electric vehicles are even lower. 8 times and 14 times lower respectively.
In addition to differences in power modes, flame retardant concentrations also vary with seasonal changes. Among them, the concentration of TCIPP in winter is about 56 ng/g; in summer, it increases about 4 times to 231 ng/g. TEP, TIBP and TNBP also showed similar increasing trends, with summer concentrations being 1.6, 4.9 and 5.3 times higher respectively. For these vehicles that were sampled twice, the average outdoor temperatures between the two seasons were 7.4 degrees Celsius and 21.9 degrees Celsius respectively.
The research team stated that the above-mentioned research results clearly show that temperature has a significant correlation with the release of flame retardants from materials inside the vehicle. In particular, the indoor temperature of a parked vehicle may be significantly higher than the outdoor temperature, and it will be exacerbated in summer. this impact. Past studies have confirmed that vehicles parked in direct sunlight in summer are on average 20 degrees Celsius higher than the outside temperature, and the maximum internal temperature is as high as 68.8 degrees Celsius.
Study author Heather M. Stapleton said that among all organophosphate flame retardants, “TCIPP” is the most dangerous one. It has been proven in the past that it may cause liver adenomas, uterine fibroadenomas, and even liver cancer and cervical adenocarcinoma. Risks rise. Worryingly, with the phase-out of its chemical cousin “TDCIPP” (tris(2,3-dichloropropyl)phosphate), TCIPP has been widely used in textiles, building decoration materials or furniture.
Are flame retardants added to furniture and textiles? “JAMA” confirms: cancer risk triples
In addition to the potential threats posed by TCIPP, another compound commonly found in flame retardants: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) is also considered to be associated with an increased risk of cancer. Research published in “JAMA Network” shows that people with higher concentrations of PBDE in the serum have a cancer risk that is 300% of those with lower concentrations. PBDE is commonly used in automotive plastics, electronic product casings, circuit boards, furniture, indoor fireproof decoration materials and textiles.
The research team pointed out that PBDE and its metabolites can bind to hormone receptors and act as agonists or antagonists, thereby interfering with hormonal balance and are considered to be related to the development and development of endocrine-related tumors (such as thyroid cancer). In addition, studies have found that PBDE can destroy the genetic integrity and innate immune function of breast tissue, which may be related to the development of breast cancer.
Animal studies have found that the dose of PBDE is positively correlated with tumor size, indicating that it may promote the development of cancer. PBDEs may also cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cell cycle dysregulation, which are key factors in the development and progression of cancer. Although the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) points out that there is still insufficient evidence to classify PBDE as a human carcinogen, the study found an association between PBDE exposure and cancer mortality among American adults, laying a new direction for future research.
How to avoid breathing in flame retardants? “Four major measures” you must take before driving in summer
As for how to avoid being exposed to the threat of flame retardants while driving? Stapleton recommends that you first try to park your vehicle in a shady area or use shading devices to reduce the temperature inside the vehicle during the day. Furthermore, when getting in the car, you should immediately open the windows for ventilation and use air conditioning to further cool down the indoor temperature. Most cars can switch the function of circulating air intake. After getting in the car, you should switch to the “external circulation” mode to allow indoor and outdoor air to create convection.
Considering that Taiwan’s summer high temperatures are often higher than 35 degrees Celsius, and according to statistics from the Accounting and Accounting Office of the Executive Yuan, the number of registered passenger cars for personal use was 6.75 million as of the end of 2020, and approximately 1 in 4 people owns a car. Therefore, the public should pay more attention to the temperature inside the car in summer, park the vehicle in a cool place, and take ventilation measures before getting in the car to avoid being exposed to the risk of cancer.
Source:
National Statistical Bulletin – Executive Yuan, Accounting General Office
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