Did you know this?? An interesting bit of info...

[Tinks]

I'd say this is another one of those "arsenic in tampons" emails...

I got one saying there was asbestos in tampons.

No I didn't know that aircons could do all that. Off to check snopes now.

[Indadhanu]

Oh, it probably was asbestos... or both...

from snopes.com
Origins: This item about the dangers of benzene supposedly emitted by automobile components has been widely misunderstood. Many readers have come away from the article with the impression that it warns drivers not to use their cars' air conditioning because the A/C system itself is producing benzene, but what the article actually cautions against is the practice of turning on the air conditioning <U>immediately upon entering an automobile</U>. Motorists should instead, it says, roll down their windows in order to allow accumulated benzene fumes (allegedly emitted by other components, such as dashboards and upholstery) to vent from the car first before closing the windows and turning on the A/C.

How much truth is there to this warning? Evidence suggests an association between exposure to benzene and an excess risk of leukemia, as noted by the American Cancer Society:

A considerable number of human studies provide evidence linking benzene and cancer. Initially, increased risks of leukemia, chiefly AML, were reported among workers with high levels of benzene exposure in the chemical, shoemaking, and oil refining industries. More recently, studies have focused on workers with relatively lower exposure.

The human data are supported by animal studies. There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of benzene in experimental animals. Key animal studies support the finding of an excess risk of leukemia in humans from exposure to benzene by inhalation and ingestion. The details of these studies have been reviewed and found to support the association between benzene and cancer.

But do automobiles really produce potentially cancer-causing levels of benzene? A 2001 study of commuter exposure (in both cars and buses) in Korean urban areas found some relationship between automobile use and exposure to benzene, but its observations differed from the warning quoted above in some significant areas:

The study found that traveling by automobile increased exposure to a number of deleterious compounds, including benzene, but the primary factor in this regard was the fuel used by the vehicles, not internal components such as dashboards.

The study found that benzene levels were higher in older cars than newer cars, which suggests that the primary factor in automobile benzene levels is not associated with the "new car smell" emitted by components such as dashboards and upholstery.

The study found that exposure levels were significantly higher during the winter months, which suggests that automobile air conditioning use is not a major factor in benzene exposure.

The study itself did not establish a connection between commuter exposure to benzene and the onset of cancer.

[MrsFabuloso]

Thanks for that Leasha, that's how I understood it to read, though I can see how people could misunderstand. I was in the middle of the dinner/bath/bed routine and couldn't have a propper look!

[misty]

When you burn meat on the BBQ this also becomes a carcinogen. But the truth is unless the are comsuming and awful lot of carcinogens or have a personal history of cancer, it is still an extremely low risk factor.

Air conditioners, burnt meat, anything else - it should all be done / had in moderation. Too much or too little of anything can be a bad thing