Pure CAR air purifier 
HEPA H13 Filter & Ioniser - For all vehicles

Many of us love that ‘new car’ smell that we smell when we climb inside a new vehicle. Unfortunately, it turns out this smell is formed by a combination of more than 275 different chemicals found inside new cars, many of which are VOCs and are harmful for our health.

As part of a study on what makes up that ‘new car’ smell, researchers tested more than 200 of the most popular automobiles from 2011 to 2012. They found an astounding mixture of bromine from brominated flame retardants (BFRs), chlorine used for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and lead and other heavy metals.

BFRs and PVCs are known for their negative effects on health. Both are linked to a decrease in fertility. The former is linked to thyroid problems and impaired memory and learning. The latter contains phthalates which can impact the liver, thyroid, ovaries, kidneys, testicles, and blood. Exposure to phthalates has also been found to cause early puberty in laboratory test animals.

These components are used in many parts of the car’s manufacturing process: to make vehicle floor protections, seat cushions, and all parts that contain plastic, to name a few. They ‘off-gas’, or emit poisonous chemicals, for up to three years into your vehicle’s cabin space. The good news is that vehicle manufacturers are working to change their practices. 60% of new cars are being produced without BFRs and 17% of new cars now contain PVC-free interiors. This change is recent, however, because before 2006, zero percent of new cars fell into either of these categories.

A 2021 study notes another equally-concerning chemical found in vehicle interiors: polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. PBDEs are used in vehicle interior fabric, arm rests, and other plastics, and they can lead to neuro-developmental damage, liver toxicity, and thyroid hormone disruption. The study states that due to high concentrations of PBDEs in vehicles (5 to 10 times higher than in the home or workplace), ‘exposure during a 90-minute drive is equivalent to exposure from eight hours of office work’.

Effects of heat on vehicle cabin chemical emissions

After purchasing a new car, it is crucial to avoid leaving it in the heat. The highest concentration of toxic fumes is released during the first six months of a vehicle’s lifespan. Heat and UV light exposure trigger the emissions of VOCs, especially formaldehyde, and cause some chemicals found in your car’s interior to break down into even more dangerous components, exacerbating their toxicity.

Car cabins absorb bad smells easily, especially those caused by leftover food, tobacco, and pets. Tobacco smoke odour is notoriously one of the most difficult smells to remove from a car’s interior. Pet dander odours can also stick around in your vehicle long after your pet has been in your car.

The Pure CAR is equipped with an activated carbon filter, one of the most efficient ways to remove odours suspended in the air. This ensures that the air in your car stays fresh and healthy!

The Pure CAR eliminates allergens from your vehicle cabin’s air. For those with bothersome levels of airborne pollen, dust, pet hair, or mould in their cars, the Pure CAR is a great way to combat this problem which may leave you feeling stuffy, tired, or itchy as a result of allergy symptoms. The removal of airborne allergens in your car also provides an excellent level of protection for asthmatics who may experience asthma attacks when exposed to these allergens.

Vehicles are rife with germs. A 2022 study out of Aston University has found that the inside of our vehicles contains higher levels of bacteria than the average toilet! E. coli, also known as faecal bacteria, is the biggest culprit. According to the study, the boot came in first place as the place with the highest count of bacteria in a vehicle with 1425 bacteria identified. The driver’s seat, gearstick, and back seat all come in second, third, and fourth place, respectively.

Viruses, on the other hand, spread via exhaled droplets and aerosols. When an infected person breathes, talks, coughs, or sings, those aerosols are released into the surrounding environment. Viral spread is facilitated in enclosed spaces like a vehicle cabin. During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals were advised against taking rideshares and ground public transport (especially buses) due to the high risk of viral transmission in these locations. 

The Pure CAR removes bacteria and viruses from a vehicle’s cabin air! This is a great way to protect yourself and your loved ones from pathogen exposure like the seasonal flu epidemic or pandemics like COVID-19.

For those suffering from respiratory diseases, the presence of symptom triggers in a vehicle may make everyday life difficult. For individuals with asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, and/or lung cancer, symptoms may easily be aggravated by air pollutants found in your car. Triggers may include anything from allergens (pollen, pet hair and dander, mould and its spores, dust, and dust mites) to fine particle pollution.

The Pure CAR is designed to remove these air pollutants from your vehicle’s cabin air before they have a chance of being inhaled into your lungs.

It is no secret that cigarette smoke is bad for your health. It leads to 7 out of 10 cases of lung cancer and is a major contributor to countless other types of cancer including cancers of the mouth, larynx, liver, stomach, and pancreas (though this list is not exhaustive). Cigarette smoke is even radioactive as it contains polonium-210 and lead-210, two materials used as fertilisers by tobacco farmers.

Smoking in a vehicle exposes not only you but passengers as well. With cigarette smoke containing over 250 harmful chemicals, a second-hand smoker is just as vulnerable as a first-hand smoker to the dangers of cigarette smoke. Also, third-hand smoke, or the residue of cigarette smoke created after a cigarette has been put out, remains on surfaces for several months up to a year. In a vehicle, this residue is nearly impossible to remove from upholstery and all other surfaces.

Particles released from cigarette smoke measure between 0.3 to 0.5 microns, but the most harmful ones can measure down to a size of 0.1 microns. Thanks to the Pure CAR’s HEPA-certified filter, particles of this size are pulled in and removed from your breathing air, protecting those who are exposed to second-hand and third-hand smoke. The Pure CAR’s activated carbon filter also combats airborne cigarette smoke odours!

As passenger car numbers around the world are expected to explode from our current one billion to 2.5 billion by the year 2050, we must put into perspective the impact road pollution-emitted air pollution has on our health. Driving in our cars can expose us to a variety of air pollutants that have a negative impact on health, especially when we drive with the windows down or with the ventilation system set to bring in air from outside the vehicle. Unfortunately, our vehicles’  ventilation systems do not protect the driver or passengers from fine particle pollution (particulate matter or PM). 

What, exactly, comes out of your car’s exhaust pipe? It consists of a mixture of gases, vapours, and aerosols, but other substances as well. Some include carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, hydrocarbons, benzene and formaldehyde (two known human carcinogens), fine and ultrafine particles, and VOCs. Keep in mind that only 35% of the pollution inside your vehicle comes from other vehicles – most of the pollutants found in your car are emitted from the materials found in your car’s interior!

Exposure to air pollution leads to a host of illnesses, diseases, and conditions including:

• Increased morbidity and mortality risk for those with heart and lung conditions
• Multiple types of cancer, especially lung cancer
• Respiratory diseases like asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and pneumonia
• Increased incidence of allergies
• Increased risk of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and fatigue
• Impacted cognitive function and ability to focus
• Decreased fertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes

With its HEPA-certified filter, the Pure CAR removes 99.97% of all types of air pollution  down to a size of 0.01 microns in a single pass. Thanks to our complementary filtration technologies, the Pure CAR also removes VOCs, allergens, and unpleasant odours from your vehicle’s cabin.