Poisonous products release more harmful smog chemicals than vehicles

 Household aerosols including deodorants and cleaning sprays release more harmful smog chemicals per year than all the VEHICLES in the UK, scientists warn

  • Experts say UK population emits around 60,000 tonnes of VOCs from aerosols 
  • This is twice as much as the 30,000 tonnes of VOCs from all UK passenger cars
  • VOCs are a large group of odorous chemicals released by household products 
  • They've been linked to term chronic health effects - including lung conditions 

Household aerosols now release more harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than all vehicles in the UK, a new study reveals.

In 2017, the UK population emitted around 60,000 tonnes of VOCs from aerosols but only around 30,000 tonnes from UK cars running gasoline. 

But even accounting for all forms of road transport in the country – not just cars, but motorbikes, vans, lorries and buses – aerosols still emit more VOCs, the experts say.  

VOCs are a large group of odorous chemicals, many of which are released by cleaning and beauty products, burning fuel and cooking. 

Exposure to some VOCs has been linked to term chronic health effects, including lung conditions, liver and kidney damage, nerve problems and cancer. 

In the presence of sunlight, VOCs also combine with nitrogen oxides (NOx) to cause smog, which itself is harmful to human health and damages crops and plants. 

The experts are urging the public, policy makers and manufacturers to make the switch away from aerosols to the widely-available alternatives.  

A new study by the University of York and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science reveals that the picture is damaging globally with the world's population now using huge numbers of disposable aerosols

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By Jonathan Chadwick / For Mailonline
(Source: dailymail.co.uk; April 28, 2021; https://tinyurl.com/ydkn4lbg)
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