Paints, Pesticides, Perfumes Cause As Much Air Pollution As Vehicles

Chemical products that contain compounds refined from petroleum, like household cleaners, pesticides, paints and perfumes, now rival motor vehicle emissions as the top source of urban air pollution.

- 

People use a lot more fuel than they do petroleum based compounds in chemical products about 15 times more by weight, according to the new assessment. Even so, lotions, paints and other products contribute about as much to air pollution as the transportation sector does, said lead author Brian McDonald, a CIRES scientist working in NOAA's Chemical Sciences Division. In the case of one type of pollution tiny particles that can damage people's lungs particle forming emissions from chemical products are about twice as high as those from the transportation sector, his team found.