[팍스넷뉴스 권준상 기자] It was investigated that toluene, which exceeded the standard value, was detected in the vehicle interior of Hyundai Motor’s luxury brand Genesis’GV80′. Toluene is a volatile organic compound mainly emitted from finishes used inside automobiles. Although it is a non-carcinogenic substance, it generally produces a characteristic odor in a new car, and can cause symptoms such as a sore head or sore eyes.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport) conducted a survey on the indoor air quality of new cars for 7 car models* from 4 companies manufactured and sold in Korea in 2020, and found that toluene in GV80 exceeded the recommended standard.
An official from the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said, “It is estimated that the toluene particles of the paint used during the rework have flowed into the vehicle in order to shorten the drying time of the paint because the history of the external paint rework has been confirmed.”
In accordance with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s’Indoor Air Quality Management Standards for Newly-Manufactured Vehicles’ (notified by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), workers on-site to improve work processes to prevent air quality pollution in the vehicle cabin, and to take precautions, etc. It recommended corrective actions such as training.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has not separately stipulated in the relevant standards, but has conducted additional tests on vehicles exceeding the recommended toluene standard and on two vehicles of the same type. In this test, it was found that both of the two units (toluene concentrations, respectively, 52.4 ㎍/㎥ and 246.9 ㎍/㎥) satisfied the recommended criteria.
“Volatile pollutants in new cars mostly disappear after 2-3 months after shipment,” said Lee Chang-gi, manager of the Department of Advanced Vehicles at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. He said, “We plan to revise the related notice, including improvement measures for after-care for vehicles exceeding the recommended indoor air quality standards in order to continuously urge automakers to make voluntary implementation efforts.”
On the other hand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in this investigation replaced the investigation with the indoor air quality result record table submitted by the manufacturer because of the volatilization of harmful substances because imported vehicles from overseas enter the country after 2-3 months (transport period) after production.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been released from interior materials for automobiles newly manufactured and sold every year in Korea since 2011.Eight substances are volatile, including: ▲formaldehyde ▲toluene ▲ethylbenzene ▲styrene ▲benzene ▲xylene ▲arolein ▲acetaldehyde. The results have been published by investigating whether the substance meets the recommended criteria.
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