Car Air Conditioning-A Blessing or a Hazard, You Decide

Your car air conditioner is a blessing during the dog days of summer, but studies indicate that the toxin ‘Benzene,’ a toxic chemical is being emitted from your air conditioner during the first few minutes after you turn it on. There are conflicting blogs and reports on the Internet about the hazards of car air conditioners. If you are savvy enough to understand the OSHA, NIOSH and EPA standards citing the benzene acceptable exposure standards for consumers and employees in the increments of ppm (parts per million), then you are equipped to assess this potential hazard. For the rest of us we need to use common sense and err on the side of caution. If the reports are true, it would be beneficial to open your windows and even step out of your car for these first few minutes while your air conditioner is initially turned on. This would allow any toxins that are potentially released from the air vents to make their way out before you breath that air in. There is no debate about the hazards of Benzene, it is also important to know that Benzene is present in our air both indoors and outdoors and Benzene does exist in car door panels, seats and interior car components. Wherever there are plastics, synthetic fabrics and glues, there is Benzene and the hot weather conditions will ‘off-gas’ trace amounts. The operative question is ‘how much?’ Well, it depends on whose documents you read. For all of us who drive our vehicles in the summer airing out your car is a smart habit, and should be added to other smart habits like cleaning your fruits and veggies thoroughly, avoiding the microwave when food is in plastic containers, and jogging on a track instead of the roads to avoid exhaust fumes just to name a few.