Air Pollution in Cars Can Be Up to 10 Times Higher Than Outside Air
Bad air quality can cause breathing difficulties and eye and throat irritations even in healthy people. How can we have fewer bad air quality days? 

Numerous studies have shown that pollution within vehicles can be 10 times higher than the outdoor air, and concentrations can be particularly high when vehicles are trapped in congestion or traveling slowly. What can Twin Cities residents do to fight the smog?

1) Take transit. Motor vehicle emissions are the primary cause of air pollution in the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has calculated that nearly 60 percent of the pollution responsible for adverse health effects is from motor vehicles. Taking the bus or the light rail reduces the number of vehicles on the road and reduces the emissions contributing to bad air quality. Taking transit helps you fight congested roads and bad air quality at the same time!

2) Walk or ride a bicycle. Up to half the pollution inside your car comes from the vehicle directly in front of you. Luckily, walking or riding a bicycle doesn’t create any air pollution. If you walk or ride a bike on bad air quality days, though, it’s best to avoid high traffic areas, and consider leaving earlier in the morning. 

3) Combine trips. Cold starts and short trips are the worst offenders when it comes to pollution. Instead of running errands at different times, combine your errands into one trip. Remember to shut the engine off, even for short stops – one minute of idling uses more fuel than re-starting your engine. Again, on high pollution alert days, try to avoid driving altogether.  

4) Carpool. If you have to drive, try carpooling. Keep your car well-tuned—a well-maintained car runs better and pollutes less. Drive at moderate speeds and check your tires regularly. Refuel your car after sundown when air pollution levels are lower and gasoline vapors won’t add to the problem.

5. Already do all of these activities? Don’t run that lawnmower, start up the grill, or use lawn chemicals. These are also activities that can compromise our air quality.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2007 at 12:33 pm by Katie and is filed under Transit and Transportation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.