New car smell, diesel exhaust, tyre wear particles, brake dust and aircraft cabin air.
15 chemicals in this category
6PPD-quinone is a chemical formed when 6PPD (N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) — an antioxidant preservative added to virtually all car tyres to prevent ozone cracking — reacts with atmospheric ozone…
Cabin air on commercial aircraft is supplied by "bleed air" drawn from the jet engine compressor — it passes through the engine's hot sections before being cooled and delivered to the cabin, and is never independently…
Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is a natural constituent of crude oil and a component of petrol. It is also produced during combustion processes including cigarette smoking, vehicle exhaust, and burning of woo…
Vehicle brakes generate fine metallic dust every time they are applied — friction between brake pads and rotors ablates microscopic metal particles from both components. Brake dust is a chemically distinctive urban ai…
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels. It is acutely lethal at high concentrations and causes chronic health effects — including ca…
Diesel exhaust particles are the dominant source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in UK urban air. Each particle is a carbon-rich core formed during incomplete diesel combustion, coated with dozens of adsorbed organ…
Isocyanates are highly reactive industrial chemicals used to manufacture polyurethane products — foams, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers. Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MD…
Lead has been used in electronics for decades — primarily as tin-lead solder on circuit boards, as lead oxide in cathode ray tube (CRT) glass, and in lead-acid batteries. Although RoHS restrictions have largely elimin…
The distinctive "new car smell" is a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds off-gassing from the adhesives, plastics, vinyl, foam, carpeting, sealants, and coatings that comprise a modern car interior. Measurem…
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a reddish-brown gas produced by combustion — primarily from vehicle engines, power stations, and gas appliances. It is one of a family of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) regulated as major air pollutan…
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large family of organic compounds formed during incomplete combustion of organic material — particularly fossil fuels, biomass, and tobacco. In urban transport settings, t…
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a family of brominated flame retardants added to foam furniture, mattresses, carpets, electronics, and vehicle components to slow fire spread. Banned or phased out across the…
PFAS are a family of over 12,000 synthetic chemicals defined by their extremely strong carbon-fluorine bonds — the strongest in organic chemistry. This is why they do not break down: in the environment, or in the huma…
Aircraft cabin air is typically drawn from hot compressed air bled from jet engines — a system known as the "bleed air" system. If engine oil seals develop small leaks, engine oil (which contains tricresyl phosphate (…
Every time a tyre rotates against a road surface, microscopic particles of tyre rubber and asphalt are shed — this is tyre and road wear, and it is now recognised as the largest single source of microplastic pollution…
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