Mitsubishi ranks as 'most toxic' vehicle, study says

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was ranked as the most toxic vehicle base on chemical testing of the interior.

Love that new car smell? Well, it doesn’t love you back, according to a new study of toxic materials released by the flame retardants and plastics that sometimes coat the interior parts of a car.

The study by Ecology Center, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based environmental organization, found the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was the "most toxic" vehicle among more than  200 popular 2011 and 2012 vehicles tested for group's annual list.

The car's interior was found to contain bromine and antimony-based flame retardants in the seating and center console, chromium treated leather, and seats containing large amounts of lead. Who’s up for a road trip now?

Mitsubishi was not immediately available to comment.

On the other end of the spectrum, the 2012 Honda Civic ranked as the "least toxic" model with an interior (including fabrics and trim) that’s completely devoid of both bromine-based flame retardants and PVC. It also has “low levels of heavy metals and other metal allergens.” The 2011 Toyota Prius and 2011 Honda CR-Z ranked as Nos. 2 and 3 on the least toxic side of the ledger.

Overall, Ecology Center has rated Honda as the top automaker with respect to healthy car interiors every year since 2007, while Hyundai-Kia was ranked the lowest during the last two years, according to the study.

The Ecology Center says the fumes that create the new-car smell that so many people find pleasant actually come from a chemical cocktail of bromine, chlorine, lead and other heavy metals used in automotive interiors.

“Since these chemicals are not regulated, consumers have no way of knowing the dangers they face," said Ecology Center research director Jeff Gearhart in a statement. "Our testing is intended to expose those dangers and encourage manufacturers to use safer alternatives.”

Its report, Toxic at Any Speed, says that driver and passenger exposure to these materials has been linked to allergies, birth defects, liver toxicity and cancer, and says the linkage is corroborated by a two-year study conducted by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia’s national science agency.

The potential toxicity of automotive interiors hasn't received much attention from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, although the U.S. agency does acknowledge the phenomenon of harmful building materials. A separate study from the Technical University of Munich in Germany conflicted with Ecology Center's findings, showing that the compounds in “new car smell” weren’t toxic but could aggravate allergies in some people.

Either way, the amount of plastics used in vehicles grew from 22 pounds in 1960 to over 250 pounds today, according to the group's website, HealthyStuff.org, although some 17 percent of new vehicles now have PVC-free interiors, and 60 percent are produced without bromine-based flame retardants in the interiors.

HealthyStuff.org says that it “only tests for a limited set of chemical hazards."

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Beware of Dangers Found in Automobiles

Although your car can feel like a sanctuary in heavy traffic or stormy weather, the inside of a vehicle can actually be hazardous to your health. Today's modern cars and trucks are made from a variety of synthetic materials that can release poisonous substances into the air. Sometimes these substances are formed over time, with exposure to heat and sunlight, but some of them come with a brand new car. That “new car smell” that distinguishes a vehicle fresh off the dealer's lot is actually caused by harmful substances.

Take a look inside your car and you'll find synthetic carpeting and upholstery, plastic consoles and instrument panels, soft vinyl armrests and molded plastics. Car manufacturers use a variety of flame-retardants inside vehicles to help improve passenger safety in an accident. Various substances are used to make the plastics soft, flexible, and resistant to impact. Fabrics are often treated with arsenic during the manufacturing process, and a leather interior has usually been tanned with chromium. Chlorine and lead are often found in the plastic parts. Under the hood can lurk dangers like asbestos, and none of these substances are safe to inhale.

The list of problems caused by these toxic substances is even longer than the list of poisons, a major concern since many people spend hours a day in their vehicles. Birth defects, liver toxicity, learning disabilities, premature birth, and hormone disruption are all known to be caused by the same toxic substances that give a new car its distinctive smell. As a vehicle ages, these compounds can break down into even more harmful substances. The effects of long term exposure to the substances used in car manufacture have not been adequately studied, but doctors suspect everything from cancer to mesothelioma.



The toxic substances found in vehicles are most likely to harm the most vulnerable passengers. Even children's car seats have been found to contain substances like bromine, chlorine, and heavy metals. As the interior of the car heats up on a hot day, the air inside the vehicle becomes more and more toxic. Studies have found that air pollution inside vehicles can be significantly worse than air pollution outdoors or inside buildings. Vehicles that are several years old have already released a large amount of their toxic substances and can have somewhat better air quality. Older cars are more likely to have dangers like asbestos lurking under the hood, especially in hood liners, brake pads, clutch assemblies, and gaskets. Those who drive or maintain these vehicles should take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure.

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