Warmer weather brings
out the birds, new plants, and apparently a whole crop of new internet rumors
about your car’s air conditioning.
With a little help
from the American Cancer Society and the hoax debunkers at snopes.com, we can
assure you that you will not get cancer from your air conditioning.
The email that has
been going around claims that turning your A/C on kicks up all kinds of benzene
from the air ducts and other plastic objects in your car. It suggests that turning on your air
conditioner right as you enter the car putting you in a cancer soup that is
almost certain to cause leukemia.
While it is true that
benzene is a known carcinogen, and it’s nothing to mess around with, a 2007
study looked specifically at car interiors and did not find benzene, and it
certainly has nothing to do with your air conditioner.
All of this assumes
your car is working well, and properly maintained.
As a practical matter,
you may wish to open the windows before you turn the A/C on so the hot air can
escape. Releasing the hot air will make
sure that your air conditioner doesn’t have to work so hard to keep you
comfortable.
For more information
on this rumor email or potential cancer causing chemicals in your car, learn
more at cancer.org or snopes.com
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