Unclean vehicle cabin air filters more dangerous to children

Though air pollution is still a serious threat to public health, it appears to be even more so to the health of our children, recent studies show. Outdoors, indoors, and even while being driven with the windows rolled up, children are potentially more susceptible to the ill effects of pollution than adults.

The news, though, is not all bad. Many motorists may not be aware that most vehicles (1995 and newer) are now equipped with cabin air filters that are designed to clean the air inside the car while you drive.

"However, if this filter is clogged, the dangers from pollutants trapped inside the vehicle can actually multiply," said Frank Merrell, spokesman for Purolator Filters, a leading supplier of automotive filters to the North American aftermarket. www.BreatheEasyCabinFilters.com.

According to Merrell, even with the windows rolled up and the heating/AC turned on, the air inside can be polluted -- if the cabin air filter is not clean.

The American Lung Association's State of the Air Report for 2010 says, air pollution 'shapes how kids' lungs develop.' (www.stateoftheair.org/2010/facts/)

The Clean Air Council (www.cleanair.org), a Pennsylvania-based environmental advocacy group, states that children are more vulnerable to air pollution. They are also more likely to being driven in vehicles, potentially adding to their exposure. Pollutants such as fine dust, diesel soot and nitrogen oxides enter the vehicle through the vents and concentrations of these toxic substances inside can be higher than at the side of the road -- all this when children's immune systems are not developed enough to resist the toxins they encounter.

Purolator offers two types of BreatheEasy® cabin air filters -- the standard particulate filter that traps all types of airborne particles, and an upgraded filter that also removes unpleasant odors.

The standard BreatheEasy filter features a scientifically engineered media formed into a multi-layer design with pleats. This provides more surface area to filter out contaminants. These filters are 'electrostatically charged' to ensure that even minute particulate matter gets trapped in the filter media.

The upgraded BreatheEasy cabin air filter features an activated charcoal filter layer that captures and holds most toxic and foul-smelling gases, such as ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons.

Normally located in the cabin air intake, under the dash or behind the glove box, cabin air filters can be easy to replace. It may take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to replace a cabin air filter, depending on its location and the vehicle's design.

BreatheEasy cabin air filters are available for most newer vehicles and come with illustrated specific instructions for many makes and models. These instructions are also available on the Website.

Purolator recommends replacing a vehicle's cabin air filter every 12,000 to 18,000 miles to ensure that you shield yourself and your children from environmental pollutants ... when driving or stuck in traffic even with the windows rolled up.