Especially
in older models, but also in modern cars, there are certain chemicals and
substances that can cause harm to the driver and passengers of a vehicle.
Because vehicles are no longer manufactured entirely in one place, parts come
from different suppliers all around the world. Some of these countries might
have lower health and safety standards in their factories where these parts and
components are being manufactured. It is not uncommon to find traces of lead,
arsenic, mercury, and bisphenol A in
some vehicles. Bisphenol A is a colorless solid that exerts hormone-like
properties that can be harmful to humans. In older vehicles it has been found
that asbestos is present in such components as brake pads, gaskets, and clutch
linings. Precautions, such as only driving used cars that have been driven for
a few years, or making sure to crack a window every time you leave your vehicle
unattended to allow ventilation, can be taken to reduce health risks.
A
question is raised when discussing topics such as this. Should people in
America or any country be constantly concerned with the countless things we use
in our day to day lives that are claimed to be harmful or carcinogenic. Let’s
face it; we need cars in this day and age, period. Should we just ignore these
constant studies and claims of harmful day to day items or be paranoid about
everything we touch? Like one of my fellow bloggers pointed out in their post
the life expectancy of humans is only increasing every year. My opinion is that
it is our job as engineers to take leadership in the scientific community and
make sure we protect our fellow inhabitants of this planet by reducing the
harmfulness of products that become available to us.
This kind of thing is very frightening. Considering all the different new discoveries that are released in the scientific world about different causes of cancer and different hazards people did not normally consider, it is hard not to be scared, even if you're a skeptic. I think this is one of the reasons humans are able to live to be so old nowadays, because they are more informed about what is harmful.
ReplyDeleteThe responsibility does not stop there however. If we discover something is harmful, the most logical solution would be to discontinue it, so why dont we do it... profit.
For example I read an article that mentioned the hazards of GMO (genetically modified organisms), specifically chickens. The article stated that there were traces of arsenic in tested samples of chicken because they started testing for arsenic all of a sudden. Arsenic in chicken!?!?! who would have thought of that?!
Wow! I have heard about asbestos being in older model vehicles, but I did not know about harmful chemicals being in newer model vehicles. When one hears the word "engineer" doesn't 'better' and 'improve' come to mind? It is our job as engineers to improve the quality of the vehicles that we are driving. With better communications and business methods, could we not manufacture vehicles in one location or work to improve health and safety standards in other countries? To answer your question, we should not ignore the studies and claims of harmful chemicals in vehicles, we should fix them.
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting to read, but should ignoring the studies about chemicals in vehicles really be a question? Throughout history scientists have been pulling information from other scientists works to improve upon their own theories and create new discoveries. As scientists learn about various factors affecting aspects of our daily life, such as our health, its their new job to find solutions and investigate a proper response to the problem rather than just ignoring it. Although the parts of the cars may be manufactured in various parts around the world, they ultimately affect the people they are making it for, us!
ReplyDeleteThe real question I feel like shouldn't be whether we should ignore the small problems that affect humans daily activities, rather how we can not only solve the problem but also respect the culture and values of all the people around the world. A solution to the problem we may have reasonable may seem absurd or disrespectful in another part of a country. Therefore, as scientists, we should want to solve the problems and create a healthier lifestyle for humans, and then focus on the ethics behind the situation and see how we can make it safe for all people across the world. Very interesting post!
Having standards for imported products should be made and enforced. I suppose it would help level the playing field with domestic companies, but products can produce parts in a number of countries before they're all assembled. Chemicals in a car is quite concerning to me because it's an enclosed area, so the fumes just build up in the car. Checking stuff before it gets assembled would be a good idea so we don't have to trouble shoot it later when we need to. Also it costs a lot to treat people for these kinds of illnesses, so it could be cheaper to check for dangerous chemicals
ReplyDeleteHow widespread are these issues? I realize that they're obviously dangerous, but this is the first I've heard of these problems. I think that it would be more beneficial to teach car mechanics about spotting asbestos and the like, and leave it to them to check it when you take your vehicle in for regular maintenance. Another route we could take would be sensors like the TPMS in tires to monitor the levels of harmful chemicals and alert drivers to their presence and need for action.
ReplyDeleteThe article mentions vehicles built in Asia, South America, etc as the primary source of concern, but most of our vehicles here are built in the US(+Canada) and Japan. Even the foreign brands build their cars here anyways, and I'm sure most cars manufactured in this country should be safe.
There is no doubt that many things that we use in everyday life are potentially harming us without our knowledge. We should be aware of potential dangers and pay attention to the results of the studies that were conducted. Many new products are entering the market because there is demand for them, they are often cheaper, and, as Denis stated, they bring often big profit to the manufacturer. The research should be continued and tougher regulations should be applied to the testing. As the demand for the new products, including car parts, grows, testing of long-time effects of using the product is usually abandoned. Higher standards in manufacturing, especially for parts that are coming to the US from subcontractors from other countries should be required. More frequent testing for foreign parts is a must. If our standards are not met, the partnership should be dropped and the manufacturing should be brought home.
ReplyDelete