Genesys GV80 detects excess’toluene’… Corrective action such as work process improvement

In the semi-large SUV GV80 of Hyundai Motor’s luxury brand’Genesis’, toluene, a volatile hazardous substance, was higher than the recommended standard, making it a subject of follow-up investigation this year.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 13th that last year, toluene in one GV80 model exceeded the recommended standard as a result of a survey of indoor air quality for 7 new cars manufactured and sold in Korea. Toluene is a volatile organic compound mainly found in automotive interior finishes. It is not a carcinogen, and it generally produces the characteristic odor of a new car and can cause symptoms such as sore head or sore eyes.

The recommended standard for toluene detection was 1000㎍/㎥, and 1742.1㎍/㎥ for the irradiated vehicle was found. An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport explained, “It was confirmed that the vehicle had done the exterior painting again,” and “It is estimated that toluene particles were introduced into the interior from the paint used to shorten the drying time.” The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted additional tests on two vehicles of the same type, and the results were 52.4㎍/㎥ and 246.9㎍/㎥, respectively, which were lower than the recommended standard.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recommended corrective actions such as improvement of work processes to prevent pollution and training on site workers so that the same matters do not recur. Also, in this year’s new car indoor air quality survey, it was decided to conduct a follow-up investigation on the GV80.

“Volatile pollutants in new cars mostly disappear after two or three months after shipment,” said Lee Chang-gi, manager of the Department of Advanced Vehicles, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. We plan to revise the related notice, including improvement measures,” he said.