Automobiles represent an important source of environmental problems. It has been pointed out in the case of Nora Barnes and other patients that some individuals react to even supposedly “harmless” amounts of automotive exhaust fumes (Chaps. 3 and 7). For this reason, the consumer should think ecologically when buying an automobile. There are five basic rules to follow when purchasing a car:
1. The car should have a valve which turns off the air intake. This is
important, since one may run into unexpected sources of fumes on
the road: a garbage dump, freshly tarred road, airport, driving through
tunnels or unusually heavy traffic.
2. Choose the car upholstery with forethought. The best kind of upholstery
is leather, although this has become very difficult to find in American cars. The next best choice is rayon, a fabric made from cellulose, itself a wood by-product. Nylon is less objectionable than the newer synthetic fabrics such as vinyl.
4. All rubber mats should be removed from the floor of the car and the trunk and should be replaced with carpeting, preferably made from natural fibers.
5. The car should be equipped with an activated carbon filter to clean up fumes which have accumulated on the inside. This is particularly important for those who are known to have a moderate-to-severe form of chemical susceptibility. Sources for such filters are given in the Colos book.
In general, one should be most careful when purchasing a car. It should be driven on the highway first, to see if unpleasant health symptoms develop when riding in it. There may be an undetected leak in the exhaust system, and any prepurchase inspection should pay careful attention to this part of the automobile. The car should preferably be tried out on a sunny, warm day, for plastic car upholstery can cause problems when heated. One should never buy a car which is a source of environmental problems or which causes or perpetuates symptoms.
Once a car is purchased, it is necessary and important to keep car fumes out of the living quarters. If there is a choice, avoid a house whose garage is located under or adjacent to the living area. The case of Sister. Francesca, who fell asleep after being exposed to fumes from a still-hot car engine, illustrates the potential for reactions.
Detached garages are best. If the car must be stored in an adjacent garage, it should be allowed to cool completely, away from the house, before it is put away.
In choosing a house site, one should make sure that it is not located too close to any major road or highway, especially one on which busses travel. The direction of the prevailing winds should be taken into account as well. Check to find out if a new highway is planned for the neighborhood. Patients sometimes choose an ideal country spot for building an ecologically sound house, only to wake one morning to the sound of highway-building equipment.
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