Chennai is a place which has almost 12 month summer period in a year as the heat is always quite high during most part of the year. Especially during the months of April, May, and June, it is scorching.
However, if you travel by car and use the air-conditioner, better be cautious about it. According to a doctor, more careful use of car air-conditioner can prevent certain body complaints.
Here is the list of points to be taken care of while using the car air-conditioner:
- Do not close the windows immediately after starting the air-conditioner while getting into the car.
- Keep the windows open for a few minutes once inside the car. After this time gap, start the car air-conditioner.
- Note that several parts of the car are made of plastic (dashboard, seats, etc) which emit a toxic substance known as benzene.
- Generally, the permissible limit of benzene by the human body is 50 milligrammes per sq ft. In the cars which remain parked outside the house under shadow will generally have benzene emission levels of 400 to 800 milligrammes per sq ft. If the car is kept under the sun, the level of benzene will be 4000 milligrammes per sq. ft. Please note that this level is 40 times more than the amount permissible as the emission of benzene to the human body.
- Researches establish that this high toxic level of benzene emission can lead to cancer, blood cancer, kidney and liver complaints. By keeping the doors open for a few minutes, the toxic benzene may escape through the open doors.
- Another point to note is that please do not start the air-conditioner and sleep inside the car when it is parked. The car engine emits carbon monoxide which spreads throughout the car through the firewall and other parts of the car. The sleeping person will not be aware that he is inhaling toxic air. The oxygen content in the blood tissue will be down and may lead to breathing problem – sometimes, it may lead to the threat of life.
- In case, there is a need to sleep, keep the glass doors of the window open while sleeping inside the car. Do not keep the car air-conditioner in recirculation mode when it running while the car is parked.