Science brief: Extra time in cars raises air pollution exposure

A new study has found that time spent riding in cars increases exposure to air pollution. California researchers have measured the amount of ultrafine particles found in vehicle exhaust that enter cars out on the road. There is a science to the way particles make their way in even when ventilation systems are set to recirculate interior air.
In a study published last month in the journal Atmospheric Environment, scientists from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles reported on measurements of air pollution entering an electric vehicle.
The amount of pollution varied depending on the type of vehicles were near the test car. The two main sources were diesel trucks on freeways and fast-accelerating vehicles on surface streets.
Calculations showed the average driver in Los Angeles spends about 6 percent of the day on the road, and that time accounts for up to 45 percent of total exposure to air pollution. The tiny particles in vehicle exhaust are connected to respiratory and heart problems.
This must also mean that the particles contribute to air pollution in general and could be effecting the climate all over the world.