Why
not to switch on A/C immediately after entering car:
It is recommend that you do not turn on the
car’s Ac immediately after entering your car. Roll down your window pane to
drive out the lethal substance which has accumulated inside. before you drive
further. According to an Korean study by Jin-Woo Lee and Wan-Kuen Jo (Department
of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Taegu 702-701,
South Korea Received 11 May 2001;) the interior of cars and buses have higher
levels of VOC’s(volatile organic compounds), like benzene, toluene and MTBE,
than that in the atmosphere outside. It has been established in the research
that, the usage of spurious fuel further elevates the emission of VOC’s. The
study establishes that the levels of VOC’s are higher during the winter months.
Thus it has not been established if the usage of A/c’s increases the production
of VOC’s. Various studies have established that Benzene is an extremely toxic
chemical producing numerous health hazards including cancer in humans. Benzene
can be found naturally in crude oil as well as a result of several human activities. These include smoking, usage of products where benzene is a
component/solvent like gasoline, synthetic fibers, detergents, glues, paints,
furniture wax and many other household products. The levels of benzene are
particularly high in the interior of new building because of usage of benzene
based products like paint. According to a European study air fresheners are
also a culprit which emit substantial amount of benzene. Korean research has not established that the various
plastic components and synthetic fibers in cars in the car emit the lethal
components due to heating when parked in the sun. However it is quiet feasible
that varying amounts of benzene is emitted due to heating of products in the
cars having it as a component. Scientific evidence has substantiated that reduction
of white blood cells, cancer, anemia, weakening of bones and even miscarriage
are some of the effects of health hazards caused by prolonged exposure to
measurable amount of benzene exposure.
Once exposed it is very difficult to rid the body of this highly lethal
component. The acceptable limit of benzene in the indoor atmosphere for humans
is 50 mg per square feet. A car parked indoor is exposed to lower temperature
and still approximately 400-500 mg in its interior. A car which is parked
outside and is exposed to a temperature of 60 degree will have forty times more
benzene than the acceptable limit, i.e.
2000 mg- 4000 mg. The next time you roll down your car window, remember
you are not just dispelling the hot air out of your car and thereby enhancing
the functioning of the car’s A/C. You are doing a favor to your body and
ridding the car of the poisonous stuff trapped in its interior.
