| There are lots of small cigarette lighter plug in "air | | | | plastics and glues. |
| purifiers" sold nowdays. Most are not up to the | | | | Wet carpeting, insulation, or air conditioning drip |
| automobile cabin air quality challenge. | | | | can allow mold to grow inside a car. |
| Howard Hughes, the eccentric billionaire, once had | | | | Many automotive cleaning products can be toxic in |
| a car air purifier installed in a limousine. The purifier | | | | a car's air. Interior air freshener sales continue at |
| cost more than the limo, weighed almost as | | | | a rapid pace, despite health concerns. |
| much, and and took up most of the trunk. A $20 | | | | A vehicle interior is smaller than residential rooms: |
| device weighing a few ounces cannot assure safe | | | | smoking and side stream smoke are especially |
| air in a modern car cabin. | | | | concentrated inside an already toxic car. Rooms |
| We tend to feel safe in our car, but the air in the | | | | can be repainted, carpets and furniture removed. |
| interiors of cars may be even worse than | | | | Tars and particlulate from smoking can never be |
| household indoor air. Driving a car can be our | | | | removed from automobile headliners and |
| single most toxic activity. | | | | upholstery. |
| A busy interstate highway has many sources of | | | | There are many models of auto air purifiers |
| pollution; gas and diesel exhaust fumes, various | | | | available. China exports thousands of products, |
| particles, pollen, cigarette smoke, and germs. | | | | which emanate from the low budget mom and |
| Everything along the road has an oily finish, with | | | | pop electronics explosion there. Most are small |
| tiny soot particulates waiting to flurry into the air | | | | ionizers, with plugs for the car's 12v DC cigarette |
| an auto moves through | | | | lighter socket. Few have any ability to actually |
| As air rushes over the exterior metal skin, | | | | purify air in cars. Most make significant ozone. |
| negative charges are stripped away. A positive | | | | As with indoor room air purifiers, better car |
| ionic charge builds up in auto interior air, causing | | | | purifiers have real fans and activated carbon for |
| stimulation followed by fatigue. This is why the car | | | | toxic chemicals. Some can also do double duty as |
| air ionizer has become so popular. | | | | a travel air purifier, using an optional AC power |
| Flow-through ventilation is required by law: even | | | | adapter. |
| when the A/C is set to recirculate, all vehicles still | | | | A couple real car air purifiers to check out; Aireox |
| exchange some outside air to maintain oxygen in | | | | D-22, and Amaircare Roomaid Portable. The |
| the car's interior. | | | | Nanobreeze photocatalytic car model clips onto air |
| That "new car smell" that so many people | | | | vents, using the vehicle's ventilation system and |
| confuse with success comes from evaporating | | | | fan. |