You may be giving new meaning to the phrase “killer commute.” Because you’re surrounded by idling cars, you’re basically sitting inside a cloud of exhaust fumes. “The danger comes from high concentrations of toxins, such as particulate matter, that can accumulate in the air circulating inside your car,” says Jeff Gearhart MS, research director at the Ecology Center, a Michigan environmental organisation. These unseen enemies can not only cause lung trouble (including an elevated risk of cancer) but also raise your risk of a heart attack. So what’s a road warrior to do? Start with the obvious: If you’re entering bumper-tobumper hell, roll up your windows and set the ventilation to recirculate. Doing this reduces your exposure to particle pollution by at least 70%, say researchers at the University of Southern California. For extra insurance, Gearhart recommends replacing your car’s dust and pollen fi lter (aka cabin filter) with one containing activated carbon (or charcoal). Unlike standard paper filters, those with activated carbon also trap particulates and chemicals in vapour form, signifi cantly improving the quality of the air.
Could sitting in heavy traffic every day damage my lungs?
You may be giving new meaning to the phrase “killer commute.” Because you’re surrounded by idling cars, you’re basically sitting inside a cloud of exhaust fumes. “The danger comes from high concentrations of toxins, such as particulate matter, that can accumulate in the air circulating inside your car,” says Jeff Gearhart MS, research director at the Ecology Center, a Michigan environmental organisation. These unseen enemies can not only cause lung trouble (including an elevated risk of cancer) but also raise your risk of a heart attack. So what’s a road warrior to do? Start with the obvious: If you’re entering bumper-tobumper hell, roll up your windows and set the ventilation to recirculate. Doing this reduces your exposure to particle pollution by at least 70%, say researchers at the University of Southern California. For extra insurance, Gearhart recommends replacing your car’s dust and pollen fi lter (aka cabin filter) with one containing activated carbon (or charcoal). Unlike standard paper filters, those with activated carbon also trap particulates and chemicals in vapour form, signifi cantly improving the quality of the air.
