Protect Your Family From Breathing Dirty Air Inside the Car

BROADVIEW, Ill., May 7, 2007 -- Did you know that children are more sensitive to the effects of air pollution than adults? And, did you know the air quality inside a car when you are driving them to school or soccer practice with the windows rolled up is worse than the air outside, especially in heavy traffic?

"To ensure that the air entering the passenger compartment through your vehicle's heating, air conditioning and vent system is uncontaminated, your vehicle's cabin air filter must be clean and functioning well," says Ramon C. Nunez, Director of Filtration for Robert Bosch, LLC, supplier of automotive parts and systems to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket here in the United States and abroad.

Roadside air - especially along busy roads and highways - contains pollen, dust, soot and smog whose harmful effects are well-documented. Much like the filter in your home's heating system, your vehicle's cabin air filter traps the dust, dirt and grime from the road and pumps clean air into the passenger compartment.

However, over time, like any other filter in your car or home, it can get clogged and actually multiply the dangers associated with these pollutants when the vehicle's heating and air conditioning system blows them into the closed interior with no avenue for escape.

According to the American Lung Association's 2006 State of the Air Report, children are more likely to suffer from the effects of air pollution than adults because their lungs are still growing and because their bodies' ability to fight off infections is still developing.

Bosch's Nunez recommends you change your vehicle's cabin filter annually or every 12 to 15,000 miles or more often if you live in an area with higher pollution levels.

Bosch manufactures two types of automotive cabin filters - particulate cabin filters which, screen out road dust, bacteria, mold spores, pollens and other pollutants and activated charcoal filters which, also absorb harmful gases and odors. Like the home furnace filter, the automotive cabin filter features a pleated design which provides greater surface area for higher filtration capacity. The more the pleats the greater the capacity for filtration. Most vehicles, 2001 and newer, are equipped with cabin air filters.