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toolkit: Interior Health The search is on for safer plastic parts in vehicles T he auto industry has been making changes to address health concerns over the materials used to assemble the estimated 79 million vehicles manufactured annually. In the closed environments of new automobiles, for example, passengers have been exposed to ���off-gassing��� (the release of chemicals into the air), a phenomenon that can be caused by compounds in new-vehicle components such as armrests. Lest anyone think off-gassing is an issue only for those with heightened chemical sensitivity, though, the World Health Organization (WHO) describes autointerior air pollution as a threat to human health in general. And it cites prestigious research organizations such as the Ecology Centre in Michigan, which studies and ranks the toxicity of new cars by model. All of which has led health and safety experts to advise anyone spending long periods of time behind the wheel, such as truck drivers and delivery personnel, to limit their exposure if the vehicle they are driving is a new model. (See sidebar for vehicles with high ratings for off-gassing reductions.) Often referred to as volatile organic compounds, off-gassing pollutants are generated by a wide variety of fabrication materials. In homes, they are found in new carpets and furniture; in new vehicles, they are found in paints, carpeting, leather, vinyl, sealants, glue, lubricants and plastics (used for trim and moulding). The most toxic of these compounds, however, commonly referred to as BFRs (brominated flame retardants), are used in car-seat fabrics as flame retardants. And this is where the groundbreaking work of GreenCentre Canada (GCC) is proving instrumental. GCC funding recipient Dr. Paul Hayes at the University of Lethbridge is researching non-toxic compounds that catalyze the formation of biodegradable materials for possible use in automobiles. And many of the hydrocarbon-based plastics currently being used, he says, could be replaced with Wieck Media p34-35_Toolk.indd 35 ���greener��� plastics. Polylactide, for one, is made from plants such as sugar beets and corn and has many properties similar to the petrochemically derived plastics that auto manufacturers currently use. ���It is also biodegradable over a few years, as opposed to the 500 to 1,000 years necessary for many conventional plastics,��� notes Hayes. ���And from an off-gassing perspective, polylactide and many of these new, greener plastics release relatively harmless gases such as carbon dioxide when they degrade.��� The eco benefits of polylactide have been known about for a long time. However, scientists��� ability to control its microscopic properties has only recently made it a useful material in auto design. One of the key challenges remaining, says Hayes, is fine-tuning how quickly this biodegradable plastic is ���allowed��� to break down. As he points out, ���You don���t want the dash of your car turning extremely brittle after a year or two.��� Meanwhile, as Hayes also points out, a secondary environmental benefit of incorporating polylactide and other greener plastics into the manufacturing process is a reduction in manufacturers��� use of non-renewable resources, including oil. ���Paul Sinkewicz Thinkers and Stinkers ��� Ford was among the first of the big automakers to start cleaning up its act in terms of off-gassing. In 2008, the company began using a small amount of soy oil in the manufacture of its seat-cushion foam and has since worked to increase that percentage. In 2011, it then announced 75 per cent of its North American vehicles would feature bio-foam in their head restraints while 100 per cent of all Ford seat cushions and backs would also contain bio-foam. As a result, the Ecology Center in Michigan ranked Ford one of the most improved automakers in its 2011/2012 Guide to New Vehicles, which tested 204 vehicles worldwide. ��� Since 2007, the Guide to New Vehicles��� annual top-ranked automaker has been Honda. The 2012 Civic is listed as ���best model��� in terms of vehicleinterior pollutants, with the 2011 Toyota Prius close behind and Honda���s CR-Z in third place. Tied for worst: the Chrysler 200 and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Due to a significant reduction in the use of PVC plastic and BFRs, ratings have continued to improve since the Ecology Centre began testing in 2006. ��� ���P.S. Westworld >> S p r i n g 2 0 1 3 35 13-01-28 10:39 AM

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