Toronto, Ontario — Love that new car smell? A recent study published in the Cell Reports Physical Science journal warns that you’re smelling more than 20 volatile organic compounds (VOC), many of which are cancer-causing agents found in paint, pharmaceuticals and petroleum fuels.
According to a study by the Beijing Institute of Technology and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, many of these volatile compounds are found in paints, petroleum fuels and pharmaceuticals. In particular, the primary scent is acetaldehyde at 60.5 percent, while 34.9 percent of the smell was composed of formaldehyde.
“The risk assessment showed a high incremental lifetime cancer risk for drivers exposed to some chemicals through inhalation, ingestion and dermal uptake,” said Jianyin Xiong, director of the Institute of Thermal Engineering at the Beijing Institute of Technology in an email to Fox News digital.
According to Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicologist and co-medical director of the National Capital Poison Center, these chemicals are unlikely to build up in regularly driven vehicles, assuming the doors are regularly being opened.
These smells can be particularly intense when the car is exposed to hot temperatures, and can be mitigated by opening the car door 30 minutes prior to driving, said Johnson-Arbor.
