New car smell
Encyclopedia
New-car smell is the common term for the odor
that comes from the combination of materials found in new automobile
s. Some people regard it as a pleasant and desirable smell. However, there is some question about whether the chemicals in the odour pose a health risk.
). These fumes may also come from phthalates
and other plastic-softening chemicals (plasticizer
s) that evaporate (or outgas) over time.
Scientists who have studied the chemicals released recommend keeping new cars well ventilated while driving, especially during the summer. A 1995 analysis of the air from a new Lincoln Continental
found over 50 volatile organic compounds, which were identified as coming from sources such as cleaning and lubricating
compounds, paint
, carpeting, leather
and vinyl
treatments, latex
glue
, and gasoline
and exhaust fumes. An analysis two months after the initial one found a significant reduction in the chemicals. The researchers observed that the potential toxicity of many of these compounds could pose a danger to human health.
In a paper published in 2000 by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
, total volatile organic compound levels as high as 7,500 micrograms per cubic meter were measured in one new vehicle on the first day of sampling. Concentrations decayed approximately 90% over a three-week period. Over sixty chemicals were identified inside the interiors of the four vehicles in this study.
In some instances the odor can actually result from a manufacturing defect. According to official documents of Bentley Motors (BT26), there is an "obnoxious odor" in Bentley cars for model years 1999-2002. The smell emanates from a rust inhibitor that was used by Bentley during that time.
found several health problems associated with these chemicals. CSIRO research scientist, Dr Stephen Brown, reported anecdotal accounts of disorientation, headache
, and irritation in some drivers of new cars. He measured pollutant levels in new cars that were sufficient to cause similar effects within minutes in controlled experiments by other researchers. Chemicals found in the cars included the carcinogen
benzene
, two other possible carcinogens cyclohexanone
and styrene, and several other toxic chemicals.
A more recent study in Japan found that the volatile organic chemicals in a new minivan were over 35 times the health limit the day after its delivery. In four months they had fallen under the limit but increased again in the hot summer months, taking three years to permanently remain below the limit. The limits were set by the Japanese health ministry in response to more car owners suffering from sick building syndrome
. A Daily Telegraph
article on the study described the enjoyment of new car smell as "akin to glue-sniffing".
However, a 2007 study by toxicologist Jeroen Buters at the Technical University of Munich in Germany and his colleagues, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found little toxicity in new car odors.
.
The probable origin of this fragrance concept was before the use of plastics and related chemicals, being simply a leather
scent (based around castoreum
and birch
tar
oil) to mimic the smell of expensive leather upholstery
.
With the advent of cheaper vinyl upholstery, there was an interest in perfuming this with leather notes
to regain the "luxury" experience. Nowadays few people see leather notes as characteristic of a new car, so the "new car fragrance" concept has been altered.
Odor
An odor or odour is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds, generally at a very low concentration, that humans or other animals perceive by the sense of olfaction. Odors are also commonly called scents, which can refer to both pleasant and unpleasant odors...
that comes from the combination of materials found in new automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s. Some people regard it as a pleasant and desirable smell. However, there is some question about whether the chemicals in the odour pose a health risk.
Chemical composition
Both the scent and what produces it vary somewhat in different kinds of cars. Most of the interior of an automobile consists of plastic held together with a number of adhesives and sealers. When the car is first manufactured, these materials are left slightly unstable, and continue to release volatile organic compounds into the air afterward (cf. outgassingOutgassing
Outgassing is the release of a gas that was dissolved, trapped, frozen or absorbed in some material. As an example, research has shown how the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has sometimes been linked to ocean outgassing...
). These fumes may also come from phthalates
Phthalates
Phthalates , or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers . They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride...
and other plastic-softening chemicals (plasticizer
Plasticizer
Plasticizers or dispersants are additives that increase the plasticity or fluidity of the material to which they are added; these include plastics, cement, concrete, wallboard, and clay. Although the same compounds are often used for both plastics and concretes the desired effects and results are...
s) that evaporate (or outgas) over time.
Scientists who have studied the chemicals released recommend keeping new cars well ventilated while driving, especially during the summer. A 1995 analysis of the air from a new Lincoln Continental
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is an automobile which was produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 1948 and again from 1956 to 2002...
found over 50 volatile organic compounds, which were identified as coming from sources such as cleaning and lubricating
Lubricant
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat...
compounds, paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
, carpeting, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
and vinyl
Vinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
treatments, latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
glue
Glue
This is a list of various types of glue. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....
, and gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and exhaust fumes. An analysis two months after the initial one found a significant reduction in the chemicals. The researchers observed that the potential toxicity of many of these compounds could pose a danger to human health.
In a paper published in 2000 by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, total volatile organic compound levels as high as 7,500 micrograms per cubic meter were measured in one new vehicle on the first day of sampling. Concentrations decayed approximately 90% over a three-week period. Over sixty chemicals were identified inside the interiors of the four vehicles in this study.
In some instances the odor can actually result from a manufacturing defect. According to official documents of Bentley Motors (BT26), there is an "obnoxious odor" in Bentley cars for model years 1999-2002. The smell emanates from a rust inhibitor that was used by Bentley during that time.
Health hazards
A two-year study released in 2001 by the CSIRO in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
found several health problems associated with these chemicals. CSIRO research scientist, Dr Stephen Brown, reported anecdotal accounts of disorientation, headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
, and irritation in some drivers of new cars. He measured pollutant levels in new cars that were sufficient to cause similar effects within minutes in controlled experiments by other researchers. Chemicals found in the cars included the carcinogen
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
, two other possible carcinogens cyclohexanone
Cyclohexanone
Cyclohexanone is the organic compound with the formula 5CO. The molecule consists of six-carbon cyclic molecule with a ketone functional group. This colorless oil has an odor reminiscent of peardrop sweets as well as acetone. Over time, samples assume a yellow color due to oxidation...
and styrene, and several other toxic chemicals.
A more recent study in Japan found that the volatile organic chemicals in a new minivan were over 35 times the health limit the day after its delivery. In four months they had fallen under the limit but increased again in the hot summer months, taking three years to permanently remain below the limit. The limits were set by the Japanese health ministry in response to more car owners suffering from sick building syndrome
Sick building syndrome
Sick building syndrome is a combination of ailments associated with an individual's place of work or residence. A 1984 World Health Organization report into the syndrome suggested up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings worldwide may be linked to symptoms of SBS...
. A Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
article on the study described the enjoyment of new car smell as "akin to glue-sniffing".
However, a 2007 study by toxicologist Jeroen Buters at the Technical University of Munich in Germany and his colleagues, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found little toxicity in new car odors.
Reproduction
"New-car sprays" are available that purportedly reproduce the smell of a new car in older vehicles using an aerosol sprayAerosol spray
Aerosol spray is a type of dispensing system which creates an aerosol mist of liquid particles. This is used with a can or bottle that contains a liquid under pressure. When the container's valve is opened, the liquid is forced out of a small hole and emerges as an aerosol or mist...
.
The probable origin of this fragrance concept was before the use of plastics and related chemicals, being simply a leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
scent (based around castoreum
Castoreum
Castoreum is the exudate from the castor sacs of the mature North American Beaver Castor canadensis and the European Beaver Castor fiber. Within the zoological realm, castoreum is the yellowish secretion of the castor sac in combination with the beaver's urine, used during scent marking of territory...
and birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
oil) to mimic the smell of expensive leather upholstery
Upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
.
With the advent of cheaper vinyl upholstery, there was an interest in perfuming this with leather notes
Note (perfumery)
Notes in perfumery are descriptors of scents that can be sensed upon the application of a perfume. Notes are separated into three classes; top/head notes, middle/heart notes, and base notes; which denote groups of smells that can be sensed with respect to the time after the application of a perfume...
to regain the "luxury" experience. Nowadays few people see leather notes as characteristic of a new car, so the "new car fragrance" concept has been altered.