Environment monitoring officials in Shanghai expressed concerns about air quality inside motor vehicles. They said most drivers have little awareness of possible pollutants.
   
The indoor environmental protection division under the Shanghai Environmental Protection Association conducted a survey of 100 car owners earlier this year. All had cars less than three years old.
   
According to the survey, 57 percent of the respondents said the car had an irritating smell when they first purchased the vehicle while 21 percent said the odor made their eyes uncomfortable.
   
An air sample test inside the 100 cars - taken after the windows were shut for one hour - found 32 had high levels of formaldehyde.
   
"Driving in such conditions could damage the nervous or immune system, as well as their livers," said Wang Fang, secretary general of the indoor environment division. "Poisonous fumes in cars pose a bigger threat to people than in apartments since the space is much smaller."
   
According to Wang, the poisonous fumes were from the auto's interior, possibly assembled with inferior materials such as cheap glues and plastics.
   
The problem is nationwide. A recent check by the National Interior Decoration Association found nearly 90 percent of 200 cars it tested had high levels of poisonous fumes including formaldehyde and benzol.
   
While most people attach importance to air quality in their apartments, few consider it significant in their cars.
   
"I think the strong smell is natural, which means the car is brand new," said Liu Jun, who drives a Santana.
   
The consumer complaint hot line hasn't received any grievances about bad air inside cars, according to the Shanghai Commission of Consumers' Rights and Interests Protection.
   
"Car-related consumer grievances have increased, but the focal point is on car quality and repairs," said Lao Jianhong, a spokeswoman for the commission.
   
The country has no standards on air quality inside cars.
   
Sun Yeyao, an official with the Shanghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, said: "It's hard to impose a penalty even if we find poor air quality inside cars since there are no guidelines."
   
The state Environmental Protection Administration is working on new standards for air quality inside the vehicle, but it's still in the preliminary stage.
   
(Shanghai Daily November 17, 2004)