Findings:
Australian scientists found levels of toxic chemicals inside new cars that were many times higher than levels considered safe. These high levels decreased over time, but it took up to 6 months after the cars were bought and driven off the showroom floor to reduce the levels of chemicals within the cars down to safe levels.

The air inside new cars contained high amounts of:

benzene: a chemical associated with causing cancer;
acetone: a chemical that irritates the mucosal lining in the nose, throat, lungs, and digestive tract;
ethylbenzene: a chemical considered to be a systemic toxic agent; and
xylene isomers: chemicals associated with increasing the likelihood of fetal abnormalities.

And, the two-year study found anecdotal evidence of drivers having signs and symptoms of chemical toxicity while drive their new cars. These signs and symptoms included headaches, respiratory problems, “brain fog”, fatigue and lethargy. Even more problematic, as little as 10 minutes inside one new car was sufficient to induce signs and symptoms of chemical toxicity in one of the individuals.

General Commentary:
Imagine for a moment the distinctive smell of a new car. We are all familiar with it but did you ever stop to ponder “why” new cars have this distinctive smell? Did you ever pause to wonder whether there might be some health consequences to this smell?

The answer to the first question is that new cars have such a distinctive smell because they are “off-gassing” chemicals. It is these chemicals that are responsible for the odors we detect. The air inside our homes and in this case, our new cars, is often much more polluted and far more toxic than the outside air because of “off-gassed” chemicals. All of these chemicals will have to be neutralized and eliminated by the body’s detoxification systems.

The answer to the second question is “yes” there is a potential for both short- and long-term health consequences. These same chemicals that are circulating in the air inside a new car can induce a variety of toxicity signs and symptoms including fatigue and lethargy, depression, irritation or anger, headaches, light-headedness, digestive disturbances, and rashes can be indications of acute chemical exposure. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders, neurological disease, and endocrine system malfunction can all be caused or worsened by chemical exposure.

Clinical Tips:
While it is likely that none of us need the extra chemical burden induced by driving in a new car, the reality is that people buy new cars and some of these people are your patients. Since this is the case, keep the following in mind:

Chemical exposure can worsen many clinical conditions. As examples, it can cause increased blood pressure, a worsening of glycemic control, or an aggravation of inflammatory processes. In these cases and many others, a patient who has been responding well to a clinical intervention (such as medication for hypertension) might suddenly worsen giving the impression the intervention is no longer working. With respect to hypertension and a medication, it might seem that the medicine was no longer working and the temptation would be to add additional medicines into the patient’s protocol. However, the problem here is not with the medication----it is with the chemical exposure and that is what needs to be addressed.

To minimize health consequences a two-fold strategy should be employed.
1. Decrease the chemical exposure burden
2. Improve the body’s ability to defend itself against chemical toxins.

Strategies to decrease exposure after buying a new car include:
A. Keep the windows open as much as possible.
B. Every time prior to driving in the car, open the windows and allow several minutes for the “off-gassed” chemicals to escape.
C. Allow the new car to be in a moderately warm place or even better, in direct sunshine when not being driven. Heat and sunlight accelerate the “off-gassing” process so will speed up the process of making the air inside your car safer.
D. Do not place an air freshener or spray scents into the new car. These do not neutralize the chemicals. They actually add additional chemicals into the car that must now be dealt with by the body.
E. The highest levels of toxins will be found in the first few days to weeks after purchasing the new car, so minimize the amount of time spent inside the new car (especially with windows closed) during this critical time period.
F. Have your patients pay attention to their body’s feedback. A skin rash, increased fatigue or lethargy, “brain fog”, changes in mood, digestive disturbances, headaches or any other new sign or symptom is possibly a signal from the body that it is being exposed to a high burden of toxic chemicals.

To improve the body’s ability to defend itself against chemical toxins “off-gassed” by the new car, the following strategies can be initiated.
A. Increase the intake of high quality proteins. Amino acids and peptides (such as glutathione) are essential for eliminating chemicals. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to supplement the diet daily with 2-4 scoops of a powdered drink mixture in juice or water designed to enhance metabolic cleansing. MediClear™ by Thorne Research, Inc. is an excellent product for this purpose.
B. Ensure your patient receives comprehensive vitamin and mineral support. Vitamin and mineral cofactors are needed to neutralize and eliminate chemicals and to protect cells against the oxidative stress induced by toxic chemicals. An example of a product designed for this purpose is Basic Detox Nutrients by Thorne Research.
C. Chemical exposure is a stress. Because of this, enhancing the body’s ability to respond resourcefully to stress is critical. Adaptogenic herbs such as Rhodiola, Siberian or Korean Ginseng, or Ashwaghanda can be very helpful in both protecting the body and preventing health consequences from the chemicals in the new car.
D. Ensure your patient receives an adequate amount of sleep, a moderate amount of exercise aimed at enhancing breathing (such as brisk walking), and a diet with adequate fruits, vegetables and high quality fats and oils (such as fish oil).