The Briefing Room

General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: rangerrebew on February 18, 2018, 06:22:21 pm

Title: Paints And Cleaning Products Now Match Cars For Urban Pollution
Post by: rangerrebew on February 18, 2018, 06:22:21 pm

Paints And Cleaning Products Now Match Cars For Urban Pollution
 
By Stephen Luntz
16 Feb 2018, 16:07

For decades the primary source of urban air pollution has been cars. Now many cities are reaping the clean air rewards of automobile pollution controls, but we've overlooked smaller contributors that, collectively, are now as much of a problem as transport.

Many widely used chemicals release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some advertise the fact with the familiar fresh paint smell, but others can easily go unnoticed. It's long been known VOCs can be a major problem indoors, causing conditions such as “sick building syndrome”. However, the great outdoors was thought to be a different matter. After all, Americans go through about 15 times as much fuel in cars as they use petroleum-based chemicals for everything else, and it was naturally expected the polluting effects would be proportionate.

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/paints-and-cleaning-products-now-match-cars-for-urban-pollution/ (http://www.iflscience.com/environment/paints-and-cleaning-products-now-match-cars-for-urban-pollution/)