Last Father’s Day, June 18, we went out for dinner at Marquee Mall in Angeles City. After the meal, I took my grandson for a stroll in the mall. At the entertainment area, there was a car show which featured old and new cars. I wasted no time in going around the displays.
A few minutes into the walk, I felt uncomfortable. I smelled exhaust fumes. Upon checking, I found out there was a vehicle with a running engine being revved up. I presumed it’s part of the criteria in the competition. I immediately left the venue. Even from a distance, my eyes are still teary. The toxic vehicle fumes have filled the mall.
Car exhaust fumes are harmful to humans because they contain certain poisonous chemicals, including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, benzene and soot. Breathing those fumes can cause lung irritation, headaches and nausea. Long term exposure has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, asthma and other chronic diseases. I hope the management of malls would come up with policies not to allow running engines in closed spaces during car shows.
Breathing vehicle exhaust fumes is a problem for houses, offices, schools and commercial centers that are near roads and highways. Mall parking areas and buildings that are connected directly to parking garages are also exposed to exhaust gases.
In 2003, the father and brother of Carol Banawa were found unconscious inside their parked car in a mall. While waiting for Carol, the two slept inside their vehicle with the engine and aircon running which led to carbon monoxide poisoning. Her brother died and his father was able to survive but became paralyzed which led to his eventual death in 2012.
A good ventilation system will minimize the risk of inhaling toxic fumes. There’s also another way to neutralize toxic fumes- indoor plants. A ground-breaking study has revealed that plants can efficiently remove toxic gasoline fumes, including cancer causing compounds such as benzene, from indoor air. The study was led by University of Technology Sydney bioremediation researcher Associate Professor Fraser Torpy, in partnership with leading Australian plantscaping solutions company Ambius.
The researchers found that the Ambius small green wall, containing a mix of indoor plants, was highly effective at removing harmful, cancer-causing pollutants, with 97 per cent of the most toxic compounds removed from the surrounding air in just eight hours. Not only that, the plants remove the most harmful gasoline-related pollutants from the air most efficiently. For example, known carcinogen benzene is digested at a faster rate than less harmful substances, like alcohols.
Vehicle owners should also do their part in minimizing toxic exhaust fumes by doing regular maintenance and avoiding idling especially in enclosed spaces. The government can do long-term solutions through proper zoning, traffic management, road maintenance and strict enforcement of traffic regulations and vehicle inspections. Lawmakers can come up with laws promoting the use of electric vehicles by providing incentives to manufacturers and service providers.