Toxic Nation | Pollution. It's In You.

When they’re fresh off the assembly line, new cars have a particular odor to them. Turns out, that ‘new car smell’ is not good for our health.

The Ecology Centre, based in Michigan, has tested cars and kids’ car seats for various toxic chemicals: bromine, chlorine, lead, arsenic, mercury…to name a few. Many of the chemicals tested are known or suspected to cause cancer, decrease fertility, damage development and impair learning.

Best picks for the least toxic cars include: Acura RDX SH-AWD System, Smart Pure Coupe, Chevy HHR LT, BMW MS and the Smart Passion Cabriolet.

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) examined the safety of the chemical bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor found in a variety of consumer products, they based their decision on two studies sponsored by the Society of the Plastics Industry, a subsidiary of the American Chemistry Council.  The FDA claims that there is no safety concern around bisphenol A at the current exposure level.