The "new car smell" could be made up of chemicals that increase cancer risk

A new study suggests that the famous "new car smell" could be partly due to toxic carcinogens released by flame retardants. Flame-retardant chemicals commonly used in seat foam and other car parts can pollute the air inside vehicles. These chemicals are used in car seats to meet federal standards set in the 1970s but not updated since. Researchers at Duke University found the presence of flame retardants in 101 car models from 2015 or later in the USA. In 99% of the vehicles studied, the researchers found Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate, a flame retardant that can pose a cancer risk. Most cars also contained two other carcinogenic flame retardants reportedly linked to reproductive and neurological issues.