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UNECE to tackle the issue of Vehicle Interior Air Quality

The World Forum for the harmonization of vehicle regulations has been adopting regulations on vehicles’ emission levels for decades. It is now looking into a new issue:  vehicles interior air quality. The issue was raised at the initiative of the Republic of Korea, following media reports about symptoms affecting drivers and/or passengers. These would be linked to evaporative emissions from chemical compounds used in some of the vehicles’ interior elements, such as the dashboard, seats etc.   


After a preliminary exchange of views in January 2015, the World Forum’s Working Party on Pollution and Energy recognized that some of the substances that can be emitted by vehicles’ interior could have the potential to cause symptoms such as nausea, allergies, fatigue, stinging eyes and headaches. Beyond their direct impact on drivers' and passengers' well-being and comfort, such symptoms may also have adverse consequences on safety. In order to conduct a thorough assessment, the Working Party established a dedicated working group that will:



  • Identify and collect information and research data on interior air quality and its relevance for vehicles, taking into account the activities being carried out by various governments, non-governmental organizations and universities.
  • Identify and understand the current regulatory requirements with respect to vehicle interior air quality in different markets.
  • Identify, review and assess existing test procedures suitable for the measurement of emissions of vehicle interior air pollutants (including sample collection methods and analysis methods, etc.).
  • Develop provisions and harmonized test procedures to be included in a new resolution.
  • Draft a new resolution. 

This work should be completed by June 2017.

For more information, please visit: http://www.unece.org/DAM/trans/doc/2015/wp29grpe/GRPE-70-09-Rev.1.pdf

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