GMB PERSPECTIVE CHEMICALS IN NEW AND EXISTING VEHICLES
Article by Steve Garelick GMB
National Lead Taxi & Private Hire
www.gmb.org.uk
GMB Union has learned that experi- ments by the Beijing Institute of Tech- nology and Harvard School of Public
Health have provided alarming data in relation to high concentrations of 20 high-risk compounds following research using a new vehicle that was tested in various climate conditions and at varying times of the day.
Details can be found at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S2666386423001431
High levels of cancer causing compounds, which exceed appropriate limits, were discovered during the study and this could of course be highly dangerous for drivers who occupy their vehicles for considerable periods, especially in new vehicles.
Within the research the chemicals formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exceeded suggested limits by 35% and 60% respectively - formaldehyde is a recognised carcinogen. Items such as headliner fabric, carpet, dashboard and seats were tested.
Graph showing the chemical compounds discovered
Understandably the risk is liable to be a concern for anyone who is spending long periods of time in vehicles, such as taxi or private hire drivers, couriers and drivers of delivery vehicles as well as buses and LGVs.
In effect researchers were looking at the lifetime cancer risk for drivers and passengers in cars, but it is clear that this research has far reaching consequences for individuals engaging with ground transportation vehicles during their careers as there is a high risk of breathing in, absorbing via the skin or ingesting the emissions from these various chemicals.
Clearly further research is required but individuals who have driven for many years will be concerned at these latest findings and the higher potential risk to those faced with the increased chances of cancer.
This latest research adds to existing anxieties over other emissions that are being ingested and absorbed during routine driving due to increased
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels as a result of diesel and other particulate emissions.
West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme at the University of Birmingham, recently presented a report showing that charcoal filters, which cost around
£10-£20, can effectively remove NO2 from the air within vehicle cabins.
While ventilation systems do currently filter air, this is typically via a pollen filter. These prevent tiny particles and pollen getting inside the vehicle, but they have
little effect on gases such as NO2. The activated carbon filters, in contrast, remove NO2 through a process called adsorption, in which the NO2 reacts with the carbon to stick to the surface area of the filter.
As with the pollen filter, the effectiveness of the carbon filter decreases over time, meaning it should be replaced regularly when the vehicle is serviced.
Any option to improve drivers’ health is of value and GMB will closely monitor these issues. With the various risks that drivers experience on a daily basis, protection is extremely important and we must do all we can as a Union and within the trade to mitigate risk.
Where appropriate, it will be of value to consult with motor manufacturers to
measures are being put in place given the outcome of this research.
48 MAY 2023 PHTM ascertain what safety
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