Question from Stacey
Since we are expecting a third child, my husband and I purchased a new Toyota Sienna minivan. I preferred to buy a model that was a year old, but was not able to do so. We were stuck buying a brand new vehicle if we wanted that particular minivan. I at least chose the beige leather instead of cloth for the seating. I did not check out this vehicle on Healthystuff.org before purchasing, and am now worried that my children and I (especially being pregnant) will be exposed to a lot of toxic chemicals in the new car. Do you have any suggestions/recommendations to make it any better? I am tempted to cancel the order since we have not received the car yet…but it is a great vehicle for us and for our needs. The minivan does have a lot of windows, but would a moonroof be a good feature to have? I wasn’t sure if this would make a difference, plus it was an extra, significant cost. I feel I should have done more research, but time is something I don’t have much of… Thanks so much, Debra, for all of your great info
Debra’s Answer
The thing about life is that we are constantly having to make decisions about risk–the benefits we receive from doing something versus the potential of harm.
I realized this a couple of years ago when I was speaking an a conference for insurance agents. Want to present my subject in terms they would relate to, I started reading about insurance and learned about risk management. It so aligns with making decisions about toxics that I included a whole Appendix about Risk Management in my book Toxic Free.
The whole field of risk management is about taking action to minimize loss.
A hazard is something that has the poetntial to cause harm or loss. If you know something is a hazard, and know the likely loss that would result from doing it, then you can do something to eliminate or lessen the loss. There is a standard protocol for risk management that I outline in my book.
You need to assess the risk and then decide if you are willing to subject yourself and your children to the risk in order to have the benefits of this car.
Now without going into all the details of all the possible toxic chemicals that are in car interiors, I will tell you that my personal risk assessment is that I wouldn’t do it. It just wouldn’t be worth it to me to have that level of toxic exposure, especially while you are pregnant, and especially with a newborn. The risk of long term health damage is just too great.
Thank you! I have decided to cancel the order on the new minivan…but is a 2012 model still to new? How old should a vehicle be, or how long does it take to outgas? I will definitely get the air filter and moonroof! Also, I did read that some car makers are trying to use less toxic materials, or less PVC, I believe Toyota might be one of them…does this make a newer vehicle any better of a choice? Thanks again.
COMMENT FROM DEBRA:
If a car maker is using less toxic materials, it might be better, but really check it out. For example, I recall some car maker talking about putting “soy foam” in their car seats, but at most soy foam is only 2o, sometimes 30 percent soy and the rest is the same polyurethane foam. So just be careful and check out claims.