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Study Finds That ‘New Car Smell’ May Cause Cancer

Some people find the new car smell to be quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, a new study has turned that bit of joy into bad news. A study at Harvard just found…

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Some people find the new car smell to be quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, a new study has turned that bit of joy into bad news. A study at Harvard just found the "new car smell" that everyone knows and some of us love might cause cancer. Don’t worry if you have a "new car smell" air freshener dangling from your rearview mirror. They only looked at actual new cars.

Researchers at Harvard and the Beijing Institute of Technology analyzed the air inside new cars parked outside. They left a brand-new car parked outside for twelve days, then measured the air quality inside. When doing this, they found large amounts of two known carcinogens.

The study found two known cancer-causing carcinogens. There was 35 percent more formaldehyde in the air than what's considered safe and 61 percent acetaldehyde. Each exceeded the Chinese national safety standards.

They also discovered that spending just an hour and a half in a car every day exposed a person to enough formaldehyde and acetaldehyde to exceed safe limits.

"These observations increase our understanding of in-cabin chemical transport and emission mechanisms," the researchers wrote in their paper, published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.

During warmer weather, levels of the dangerous chemicals also increased, the study found.

We spend a lot of time on the roads and anyone who often leases new cars could potentially have a higher risk. There are some ways to try and reduce the risk of what the study found. This includes keeping your car ventilated, parking in shade to reduce rising temperatures in your car, and keeping your car clean to avoid dust.

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.