The article will explain why there is a peculiar smell on electronic devices, cars or furniture and is it harmful to our health?
Surely for many people, the strange smell after they unbox an electronic product such as a phone or laptop is too familiar. Even many people are interested in that strange scent. But why that strange smell and why does it fade away over time? You will get the answer in this article from the technology site Howtogeek .
Many people also enjoy the strange aroma when opening a box of an electronic product.
The smell of a new car is not new to many people. From the component details, the interior radiates a rather strange zone. It is also an important factor determining whether a car is new or not. But as it turns out, it’s actually the smell of chemicals that can be harmful to your health if inhaled too much.
Pay attention, in a new car there are all sorts of adhesives, flame retardants and plasticizers. These chemicals are in your car for good reasons, but they also contain a wide range of volatile solid or liquid organic compounds (VOCs) .
The smell of a new car is not new to many people.
VOCs are a form of compounds that naturally evaporate at or below room temperature. For example, formaldehyde, a chemical that produces paint odors, can evaporate at room temperature. This may sound scary at first, but most VOCs aren’t as toxic as you might think. In fact, most natural odors are just VOCs.
Like cars, most electronics also have adhesives, flame retardants, protective coatings, and plasticizers. These classes of chemicals are full of VOCs. They evaporate at room temperature and give off a characteristic odor of new electronics.
Most of the VOCs in electronic devices evaporate into the air you’re breathing. That’s why as soon as you open the box, you can immediately smell the factory intact machine.
This process is often referred to as off-gassing or off-gassing . This is the reason why old electronics or old cars no longer have this strange smell, even below room temperature. It is known that this exhausting process takes place right from the time the product is manufactured in the factory.
But this air release rate is significantly limited when the machine is boxed and sealed. In other words, the rate of release of air is the determining factor in whether the smell of an electronic device lasts or not.
Most of the VOCs in electronic devices evaporate into the air you breathe.
This explanation sounds quite confusing, but it is actually very simple. When you buy a new product, even though it may have been manufactured for a long time and stored before reaching you, we can still smell it. The reason is easy to understand because the inside of the box does not have any openings for ventilation. The sealed container prevents VOCs from evaporating, but can only stick to electronic devices.
Surely there are many people who hate the smell of VOCs, especially when it comes to leather products or furniture. People who hate VOCs often have to leave new products outside or leave the windows open in their cars to let the strange smell go away. Remember, the more ventilated, the quicker the release of air will be. So if you want your phone or laptop to quickly get rid of a “strange” smell, never leave it in a room that is too closed, without ventilation.
VOCs are a latent form of “poison” and are rarely noticed . That’s because government regulations in many countries require manufacturers to limit the amount of VOCs per product. But it is difficult for anyone to know whether the firms comply with that regulation.
The scientific fact is that, sometimes toxic substances can also be considered “safe” if used in sufficient quantities and vice versa. For example, formaldehyde, this chemical is indispensable for the body’s metabolism. But it becomes toxic if we eat or inhale too much for a long time.
Long-term exposure to VOCs can cause many health problems.
In other words, long-term exposure to VOCs can cause many problems with your health. For example, irritation of the throat, eyes, headache and coma. More dangerous than many studies have shown, inhaling chemical odors in cars, electronic products, and furniture for a long time can lead to cancer risk.
Usually, a person is prone to this situation if he has to live in a newly remodeled or newly built building that does not have good ventilation. This causes them to regularly inhale VOCs for long periods of time.
However, these health symptoms do not last forever. We can completely eliminate it by upgrading the ventilation system, creating clean air flow into the house or using air purifiers.
Until you can no longer smell the strange smell on the device, the exhaust process is complete. If you are worried about the strange smell on your electronic device when you first open the box, then rest assured, the effects of VOCs only occur if you are exposed to it for a long time.
If you want extra peace of mind, try unboxing electronic products in an outdoor space and always keep the door well-ventilated while opening the box.