THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF ALLERGIES: AUTOMOBILES
It may seem surprising to include the automobile as a source of indoor air pollution. Yet, not only does ambient (outdoor) air pollution enter the home, but the automobile itself has become part of the home in parts of the United States. Many houses have been built with the garage incorporated into their structures. This is particularly true in the case of ranch houses. Not uncommonly, the master bedroom is located directly above the garage and is saturated by fumes rising from it.
For the chemically susceptible, this development in modern living can be disastrous. Simply stated, garages should not be incorporated into the basements of homes unless elaborate precautions are taken to prevent fumes and odors from rising and fouling the air of the living quarters. To do this, however, is extremely difficult—in fact, nearly impossible. Even a passageway between a garage and home may allow sufficient fumes to enter the house to cause or perpetuate symptoms. Careless home construction often contributes to this problem.
A similar situation prevails in many apartment houses, where garage fumes get into the elevator shafts and contaminate the living quarters of the buildings. One partial solution to this problem is to let a car cool off completely before putting it into the garage. In this way, engine fumes will be less apt to accumulate and pollute the house.
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