Two years ago, Veena Singla of San Francisco volunteered to participate in a study researching drivers' exposure to flame retardants used on car seats. Singla drives an electric car to help the environment, but hadn't thought much about the air inside her vehicle. But according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, 'vehicles are likely important sources of human exposure to potentially harmful .
Researchers detected flame retardants in every car tested and specifically found TCIPP â which the National Institutes of Health says releases toxic fumes 'when heated to decomposition' â in 99% of the cars tested, but the study didn't look at specific makes or models. A group representing automakers said 'approved flame retardants' are included in vehicles to meet the government's required flammability standards.