Most of us mothers are aware of the pollutants that spew from our exhaust pipes, but what about the adhesives, plastics, rubbers, and other materials that make up our vehicle interior and off-gass into the air we breathe? And if you're like me and hit the recycle button on the highway to avoid diesel fumes--eek!
Off-gassing is the release of volatile or hazardous chemicals from a material or product into the air. The process can take place over months or even years, and given that the interior of a car is a small and enclosed, toxic interiors are of particular concern. Some of the chemicals that are present in our cars are lead, bromine, and PVC and Phthalates, which are endocrine inhibitors. These same materials are used for infant, toddler and booster seats.
The Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, MI has a useful website, www.healthycar.org, that rates most recent models of cars and car seats according to their level of toxicity.
I don't know about you, but when I was pregnant, I considered everything that my body (and therefore my baby) was exposed to. I walked a mile-long circle every day around my neighborhood, timing it just right to miss the fleet of school buses that barreled by, spewing black smoke that stung my lungs. On the days that I had to, I'd grin and bear it--holding my breath until they passed--waving to the driver and thinking, "My child will never ride on a diesel bus if I can help it!"
Come to find out, the exposure of pregnant women to air pollution can increase their risk of having low-birth-weight infants, according to recent a Yale study.
Researchers at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) and School of Medicine found that the higher the level of exposure to nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), the greater the risk of having lower-weight infants.
The researchers investigated the exposure of pregnant women for 358,504 births from 1999 to 2002 in 15 Connecticut and Massachusetts counties.
Read on if you like, but before you get too depressed...do OneThing and feel good about taking a step toward a solution.
