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This article series explains how to find, diagnose, test, identify, and cure or remove a wide range of obnoxious or even toxic odors in cars, trucks, campers, boats, and similar vehicles.

Smells in a boat, car, camper, or truck may be due to a range of problems ranging from dangerous burning brakes or an actual engine fire, to leaks in the climate control system, to hard-to-cure mold contamination of carpeting, seating, headlines, and sound proofing. This article explains the range of causes of odors in vehicles, what they might mean, and how best to get rid of the offensive, unhealthy, or unsafe smell.

Also see CAR SMELL - Mold DEODORIZING. Readers should also see the more general article on SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors in buildings - it'll also work in a car. Use your browser's "Back" button to return, or find the BOAT & CAR SMELLS & ODORS link in the left column of any of our articles on odors and smells. Readers are welcome to Contact Us to submit their own car or other vehicle smell and its resolution.

The photo above shows how pet odors can become pervasive in a car, noticed more by occasional passengers than the car's owner. Details of this successful car deodorization process are included in this article.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

Boat, Car, Camper Odor Diagnosis & Cure Guide: How to Find, Test, & Remove Odors, Odor Detection, Smells, & Gases in Vehicles

Foul smells in cars tend to be particularly troublesome to drivers and passengers who find themselves enclosed in a comparatively small space where airborne particles, gases, smells, stinks, and odors may appear to be concentrated. Lowering windows may provide temporary but certainly not all-season relief from car smells.

Car Burning or Gas Smell Safety Warnings: Vehicle Smells May Indicate Safety Hazards: Burning Brakes, Car Fires, Electrical Fires

Some vehicle odors need to be diagnosed virtually immediately if they might indicate a safety hazard. Some examples include:

Smoky burning car smells or odors - possibly traced to a locked emergency brake, a stuck, failing main braking system component, or even an engine fire: burning electrical components, an oil or gas leak in the engine compartment, or a similar condition can set a vehicle on fire.

Stop your car and investigate burning odors immediately or as soon as you can pull safely out of traffic.

But be prepared to quickly get everyone out of the car and to a safe location away from the vehicle if you see or smell smoke. As he drove down the Garden State Parkway, our brother-in-law smelled something like smoke coming from the foot-well or dashboard of his Corvette. When he slowed down to pull in to a toll booth, smoke began curling up from the car's dashboard.

David quickly realized that only the wind from highway speed had been keeping the car from bursting into flame. He leapt from the car, leaving it stalled right in the toll booth, and ran for a fire extinguisher. In moments the engine compartment was a roaring fire that in turn set the fiberglas Corvette body on fire as well.

Prompt aid from the fire department put out the burning car and saved the toll booth from more than Corvette-smoke damage. David was, however, not very popular with the toll booth attendants. The car was a total loss.

More recently, stopping to aid a motorist in the off-roads of central Mexico, we noticed the characteristic burning plastic odor of an electrical fire coming from the engine compartment of a pickup truck. Luckily, by quickly turning off the ignition switch (we might have needed to also disconnect the battery but not in this case), the electrical wiring stopped overheating and we were able to avoid a more serious fire.

Other burning smells from cars have been reported and discussed on Car Talk and include sources such as

• "Smelling oil that's dripping from the backside valve cover, onto a hot catalytic converter"
• "Brakes - Smells metallic/electrical type smell and you will burn your self by touching the rims."
• "Clutch - Smells like nasty fish."
• "Heater - smell like maple syrup", white mist comes out of supply vents - traced to heater core leak?

Car Odors - Animals that Cause Car Smells, Dead or Alive

Some possible sources of a "dead animal" smell in your boat, car, camper, or truck are worth checking out:

Mice and rats like to nest in vehicles, both in the vehicle interior where there is lots of nice nesting material, and in the engine compartment where there are cozy, initially warm spots such as inside the air cleaner. If you are having trouble starting the engine of a vehicle that has been stored over the winter, in fact maybe even before trying to start such a vehicle, check for a mouse nest in the air cleaner. It's a lot easier to clean out this mess before you try cranking the engine - a step that can actually suck nest material into the engine itself, causing worse problems.

Skunk smells on and in cars: lots of drivers know what happens if you run over a skunk, even a dead one. The smell seems to stick to tires and to the car under-side. It goes away with washing and time. But sometimes it's worth checking further to be sure your vehicle is not a coffin.

In college, our friend Sam was the first kid to own a new car, a beautiful Chevrolet Impala that the rest of us envied. Some of the fellows were more resentful than the rest of us, after noticing that Sam was more of a car utilitarian than a car enthusiast (he had never opened the hood nor trunk of his new car even to look inside). This lack of red-blooded American car-enthusiasm got their goat. Or skunk.

In what started as a bad practical joke, two fellows (not including the author) found a dead skunk - nearby road kill, and managed to place it (thoughtfully wrapped in newspaper) in the trunk of Sam's new Impala.

The skunk stunk, worse day by day. Finally, even Sam noticed the smell and came to the author asking "Dan, can you help me figure out why my car smells funny?" It didn't take long. We could smell the skunky Impala from 100 feet away. After a quick look under the front end for skunk parts, we noticed the smell was worse at the car's tail end - sort of like a skunk itself. We opened the trunk and quickly stepped back in disgust.

Removing the dead skunk from the trunk was not enough as now the whole car smelled horrible. Replacing the carpeting and mats took care of most of the skunky car trouble, and time did the rest. It was months, however, before anyone wanted a ride with Sam.

If you are struggling with a horrible skunk smell in your vehicle, and it's actually due to a skunk, check with a veterinarian who may have products and special advice for cleaning out skunk odors.

Squirrels also like to make a winter home in vehicles. Our friend Sam S. stored his Porsche boxer in our un-heated garage for months beginning in the fall. Other than driving the Porsche into the garage and turning off the engine, no other preventative measures were taken.

When Sammy returned to pick up his car we just handed him the key to the garage. A few minutes later he came back into our lab, scowling and angry. "It wasn't very funny what you did," he began. He went on to describe what he thought was our practical joke: filling the car's interior with leaves.

We were not guilty. A closer examination showed along with leaves, lots of acorns, and worse, squirrel pee and poop throughout. The car was salvageable, but only after a lot of cleaning. Pets in automobiles, especially in family's who may bring along several dogs on long rides, can make a car smell doggy even if no accidents (pet urine) ever occur in the vehicle. Our photo (left) shows Rudy who was a frequent traveler in our daughter's car. Although Rudy never had an accident in the car, and though he was well cared for, Rudy's frequent travel left the car hairy and doggy, noticeable to passengers if not to Rudy's family. In our experience the pet odor is more noticeable to visitors and occasional passengers than to members of a family who live with the pets.

Urine smells in cars: a urine smell associated with turning on the heater may be caused by a leaking heater core. But also check the heating and cooling system for mouse infestation of the ducts or heater.

Small animals may enter the vehicle's duct system or air box where they build a pee-smelling nest and where they might even continue to reside - until you start using the car again.

Because cleaning these components is time consuming, difficult, and costly, it may be less expensive to simply remove and replace these components unless on your particular vehicle they can be removed and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with reasonable effort.

Urine smells can of course be caused by a bigger animal (including a human) peeing in the car. Ex wife No. 1 hated our cat, who returned the sentiment. While transporting the cat to the vet, everyone was nervous, including cat, who peed copiously on Harriet as well as on the seat and carpeting of the passenger side of our 1969 Karmann Ghia convertible. Forever after, no matter how much we cleaned the carpets, if we left the car parked in the sun with the top up, it was impossible to tolerate the cat pee inside the vehicle.

Spraying a deodorant into the vehicle's climate control system ducts will certainly not be effective if there is a nest or a dead animal in the system. If the recirculating control is set to shut off outside air and the smell is reduced or stops, that probably indicates that the animal or nest is in the engine compartment rather than in the portions of the climate control ducting in the passenger compartment.

Because cleaning a car's A/C system ducts and other components is time consuming, difficult, and costly, it may be less expensive to simply remove and replace these components unless on your particular vehicle they can be removed and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with reasonable effort.

For details about animal smells in both buildings and cars, see our diagnostic article ANIMAL ODORS IN BUILDINGS.

Rotten odors that smell like a dead animal, or garbage, may also be traced to food or drinks (including milk) spilled in the vehicle, especially if its passengers include small children.

Car Odors - Antifreeze Smell

Probably a leaky heater core - have it checked promptly. See Car Odors - Climate Control System, below.

Car Odors - Body Odor or "BO"

A "BO" smell in a car might be traced to occupants who needed a wash, or to mold growth in the A/C system. Some molds are known to produce a "dirty socks" smell. Ask your mechanic to check the A/C evaporator system and its drain port for blockage. -- Car Talk

A similar complaint of "stinky feet" smell coming from the car's A/C system might have had mold as its origin.

Car Odors - Cigars and Cigarettes

These smells are difficult to get rid-of without removing and replacing carpeting, seat covers, headliners, other soft goods or fabrics.

Removing these, cleaning the vehicle, and installing new materials may be effective. Before trying an ozone generator (that might help if it's not over done) see our warnings at our more broad discussion of use of OZONE for MOLD OR ODORS.

Car Odors - Climate Control System, Heating & Air Conditioning Causing Foul Car Smells

A/C evaporator leaks: The New York Times reported ("Shaky Seats, Leaky Fluids", 01/24/10) that "... some Toyota models may exhibit intermittent foul odors from the climate control system." The Times continued to note that Toyota has issued technical service bulletins for the 2006-2009 Toyota Rav4, the 2007-2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser, and the 2009-10 Toyota FJ Cruiser, as well as the 2009-10 Toyota Corolla.

The repair to remove the foul odor from these models involves replacement of the air-conditioner evaporator. The Times article as well as your Toyota dealer can provide the technical service bulletin numbers and details for specific models.

Coolant leaks into the duct work of a car's climate control system can be a source of a sickly sweet odor or other smells. The climate control system might, under some circumstances, also conduct exhaust smells, burning oil smells, fuel smells,or other odors from the engine compartment into the passenger compartment.

A clogged A/C system evaporator drain can cause condensate to accumulate in the climate control system, leading to both mold and even potential bacterial hazards. See the general discussion on Legionella BACTERIA & HVAC Equipment where we describe this hazard in building HVAC systems.

Spraying a deodorant into the vehicle's climate control system ducts will certainly not be effective if there is a nest or a dead animal in the system. If the recirculating control is set to shut off outside air and the smell is reduced or stops, that probably indicates that the animal or nest is in the engine compartment rather than in the portions of the climate control ducting in the passenger compartment.

Because cleaning a car's A/C system ducts and other components is time consuming, difficult, and costly, it may be less expensive to simply remove and replace these components unless on your particular vehicle they can be removed and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with reasonable effort.

More about how odors move from one location to another through climate control or HVAC duct work in buildings (a similar but bigger problem than duct work in a car) is at DUCT & AIR HANDLER ODORS.

Car Odors - Exhaust Gas Smells Getting into Vehicles

Exhaust odors are a sign of trouble that may also be very dangerous: if you smell car exhaust while inside of your vehicle there may be a dangerous exhaust gas leak into the passenger compartment. Exhaust can enter the passenger compartment from the engine compartment, through the floor under the car, or even from an open car window, especially a back window or open hatch. CO hazards are discussed separately at Carbon Monoxide Gas Toxicity

Car exhaust is particularly dangerous for passengers riding in the enclosed or capped back of a pickup truck whose rear hatch has been left open, as air currents can draw exhaust into the vehicle even when there is no actual damage to the exhaust pipes or muffler.

Gasoline engine exhaust fumes are likely to contain carbon monoxide, a dangerous gas that causes first drowsiness (drive right into an accident?) and ultimately unconsciousness and death.

Have your vehicle and its exhaust system inspected by your mechanic if you smell engine exhaust in your vehicle. In driving your smelly car to the mechanic you might want to keep the front windows open as well.

More about the dangers of carbon monoxide and how we test for and correct CO gas leaks is found in these toxic gas articles:

CARBON MONOXIDE - CO
  ALARM CAUSES - CO
  EXPOSURE LIMITS for CO
  INSPECTION for CARBON MONOXIDE
  TESTS for CARBON MONOXIDE
  MEDICAL EFFECTS of CO
  POISONING SYMPTOMS - CO

Car Odors - Gasoline

You will not normally smell gasoline inside of a modern car unless you stepped in gasoline and tracked some into the vehicle, say at a gas station. However some plastic odors are confused for gasoline or other chemicals.

Gasoline smells in some cars (Subarus) have also been reported and traced to rubber hoses connecting the fuel rails to the fuel injectors. Leaks may be at the hose clamps, not in the hoses themselves. The symptom was a gas odor that appears mostly when the engine is cold and first started.

Gasoline smells are often traced to the vehicle's fuel system, piping, filters where an adjustment problem, mixture problem, or similar malfunctions; gasoline odors may be carried into the passenger compartment through openings in the fire wall or by an air intake leak into the vehicle's climate control system.

Car Odors - Mold: Boat, Camper, Car, or Truck Mold Contamination Can Cause Moldy Smells and May be a Health Risk

Mold growth in a vehicle such as a boat, camper, car, or truck can be hard to see but easy to smell, producing an obnoxious moldy or musty smell that some owners refer to as car "mildew".

Usually a moldy smelling car that stinks as soon as you open a door to enter it, with the engine off, is due to a water leak and mold contaminated soft goods such as sound insulation, carpets, or even seats or the head liner. Don't forget to check the trunk for leaks and moldy smell sources too.

A moldy smell "mildew smell" coming out of the heating/cooling vents may be associated with mold growth inside the A/C evaporator itself according to Car Talk whose hosts suggested trying to "kill" the mold with Lysol spray. In general we need to clean up or remove mold from problem areas; killing mold is ineffective, incomplete, and may leave harmful particles that continue to plague the car's occupants respiratory systems. See MOLD KILLING GUIDE (for buildings, also applies to cars) for details.

Here is our step by step moldy car cleanup guide

The most reliable to find and remove the source and cause of a moldy smell in a vehicle involves several steps. We list the car deodorizing steps, and following the list we discuss each of these car smell cure steps in more detail.

1. Identify the smell in the vehicle: is it mold or something else?
2. Confirm that the moldy or "mildew" smell comes from inside the vehicle, ruling out having simply parked in a stinky area. Confirm that it's a moldy smell identify the smell in the vehicle to be sure it's "moldy" and not something else such as the other vehicle odors discussed throughout our vehicle-odor diagnosis article: BOAT & CAR SMELLS & ODORS
3. Rule Out Indirect Odor or Smell Sources: Track the Stink to the Source, by ruling out odors that seem to be coming from a vehicle but actually come from an indirect source such as a boat cover, parking in a smelly area, etc.
4. Find where in the vehicle the smell is strongest. Use the subjective test of a smell-test person, or if necessary, use our SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors to confirm that the odor source is a specific item such as car carpeting, sound insulation, seat, or headliner.
5. Look for and trace the source of water leaks into the vehicle. Mold needs water to grow, and food to eat - carpeting, plastic surfaces, cloth head liners, sound insulation, even paint will do. Mold does not grow on clean metal surfaces in a car.
6. Remove moldy, smelly materials such as moldy carpeting or seats, clean the remaining car interior, and repeat the steps above. The moldy smell should be significantly less. It probably won't be completely gone, because the mold odor-source - the MVOCs that you were actually smelling, is a gas that also permeates other porous vehicle materials.
7. Use "odor-killing" deodorants or ozone to get rid of moldy car smell? Generally we do not recommend car deodorants - they only cover up the smell, the do not get rid of the source. It will be back. Ozone generators produce ozone gas, a strong oxidant (and dangerous to breathe) that temporarily fills the car interior to try to "oxidize" or "kill" mold that your car cleaning company couldn't reach - such as sound insulation padding up high inside the front fire-wall of the car, under the dash board.
   
   Watch out: Expert use of ozone might help reduce odors in a car, camper, van, or RV. But be very careful if you're going to permit someone to ozone-treat your vehicle. If the ozone treatment is over-done, the ozone can oxidize other car materials, causing a more horrible odor than ever. More about overdosing a car with ozone is at Ozone to Get Rid of Odors in a Car.
8. Let the cleaned vehicle "cook" in sunlight on warm, dry days, with the car windows open.
9. If the boat, car, camper, truck, or other vehicle still smells as bad as before, you have not found the source and you'll need to be more aggressive in finding and removing smell-contaminated materials. Go back to step 1.

Complete step by step details of how to find and remove moldy, musty, or "mildew" smells in cars and other vehicles can be found at CAR SMELL - Mold DEODORIZING.

Car Odors - Plastic Odors or "new car smell" - may be toxic?

Lots of new cars give off a "new car" smell that is a mix of volatile organic compounds out-gassing from new plastics and vinyls used in the car's interior. Usually this smell diminishes over the first few months of the car's life once it is in active use. However the outgassing from these materials can be substantial and is a respiratory irritant to some people.

Usually these new car "plastic" odors or "vinyl smells" are from VOC's from adhesives and vehicle interior components (vinyl and plastic headliners, dashboards, floor mats, carpets, etc) containing phtalates, an ingredient in vinyls and plastics used in cars, possibly also there may be VOCs and odors from paints and lubricants as well as in flame retardants used in some vehicles. .

According to a 2000 study by chemical engineers Grabbs et al, - these new car smells usually dissipate fairly quickly, 90% in 21 days, down to trace in in perhaps 60 days, especially in warm weather with windows open. The authors studied four new vehicles and found that three of them had total VOC concentrations (TVOC) 300 to 600 ug/M³ on the first day of testing. While over sixty chemicals were identified in the interior of the test vehicles, gases present at highest levels included toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and undecane. The study abstract did not mention vinyl chloride, nor "organotoxins" cited by other sources as a possible new car odor (and PVC vinyl shower curtain odor).

Watch out: We have received and also read of complaints of burning eyes, headache, and fatigue that some vehicle occupants ascribe to these chemicals. And indeed, as with mold exposure discussed above, particularly enclosing a sensitive individual (such as an asthmatic person) in a small space such as a new vehicle interior (windows shut, hot weather) where these gases are present could be a more immediate respiratory danger than the long-term exposure risks to carcinogenic chemicals that are unlikely to remain at high levels as the vehicle ages.

Also see Nitrogen Oxides Gas for a discussion of a possible problem with oxidized plastics that might occur if someone overdoses your car interior with an ozone generator while trying to get rid of an odor. Also see OZONE HAZARDS.

Standards for exposure to "new car" VOCs and chemicals?

To compare a government exposure standard to an actual measurement of gases or chemicals persent in a new car, one will need to compare the exposure levels found, both instantaneous and time-weighted average exposure, to existing exposure standards for those chemicals, standards which may not have been written for vehicles, nor reflective of the variables - windows open or shut, temperature, duration, etc.

Watch out: But also watch what you spend on this topic: some of the car air purifier products sold to "remove" these gases may be both ineffective and unnecessary. It might be both effective and less costly to try opening the vehicle windows during the initial outgassing period for a new vehicle with smelly plastics or glues.

See Plastic odors for details about typical sources and cures for plastic odors and for the relationship between plastic and vinyl outgassing and heat or sunlight.

Car Odors - Sweet Smells

Antifreeze leaks in a vehicle may produce a sweet smell that enters the passenger compartment, especially if a heater core is leaking antifreeze into the duct system. This smell has been described as sickly sweet, or even cupcakes.

Car Odor Source Tests - Is There a Test for Mold in Cars?

Question:

I have a toyota Avalon it has a bad smell when the a/c is on. Is there a test that I can do to check for mold contamination in my car? The smell makes my wife sick. - R.L.

Answer:

OPINION: Yes there are mold tests that will work inside of a car, particularly checking for airborne mold spores or a test for MVOC (mold-related volatile organic compound) gases.

But a visual inspection, finding and removing the problem source, would be a better way to spend the effort and money. A test itself wont' tell you what to do or where to find and fix the problem.

Start by tracking down water leaks that may have wet carpeting, sound insulation, door padding, or the headliner. Don't forget to check for leaks into the trunk area as well. If you can trace a moldy car smell to carpeting or floor mats, you are in luck since it's relatively easy to simply remove and replace those materials. Take a look at our moldy car discussion at CAR SMELL - Mold DEODORIZING.

It is also possible to test for other gases or odors in cars. Identifying the gas that is associated with an odor might help track down the problem source. For example, a plastic odor that has become too strong might be traced to unusual oxidation of plastic or vinyl materials, as we discuss at Car Odors - Plastic.

In general we prefer visual inspection to simply "testing" because far too often even when a test identifies the type of odor source in a car or building, neither the test lab nor the test "expert" you hired to perform the test is sure what you should do next. In other words, don't spend money on a "test" if the results are not going to be diagnostic.

Additional Useful References for Odor Detection, Diagnosis, & Removal

• ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST provides a checklist of places to look and things to do to track down the source of an odor or smell in building air, water, mechanical systems, heating, cooling, or other locations.
• Animal Smells may be due to current or prior pets in a building, pet urine or fecal waste, cat boxes, animal hair, dog dander, cat dander (are allergens and are indicators of the level of prior pet activity), dust tracked in by dogs. But animal odors in buildings can also occur when an animal such as a mouse or rat has died in a building cavity.
  
• Carbon Monoxide Gas Toxicity hazard levels, poisoning symptoms, & testing - you won't smell CO (carbon monoxide) in a building, but if combustion gases from a heating or hot water system or possibly a wood stove or coal stove are not being safely vented to outdoors you may smell other telltale products of combustion. Be certain that you have working CO detectors as well as smoke detectors in your building.
• Carpeting odors: diagnose & cure carpet smells due to mold, mildew, pet urine, and carpet stains - thermal tracking, and carpet testing advice
  
• Formaldehyde odors and outgassing from UFFI, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, odor diagnosis and cure are discussed further within our articles on ozone and ozone generators.
• Formaldehyde: US EPA. UFFI (Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation) was previously considered a hazard (formaldehyde outgassing). Subsequent research virtually closed concern regarding this material; however formaldehyde appears to remain a health concern for sensitive individuals.
• Gas Odors: A Toxic Gas Testing Sampling Plan for Residential Indoor Air Investigations. This document outlines gas toxicity levels and gas testing procedures we use in field IAQ and environmental health investigations for a range of indoor gases which may be produced by building product outgassing, mold and MVOCs, mechanical systems, fire damage, or contamination from nearby industrial, beauty parlor, dry cleaning, or other activities which often produce noxious or toxic odors and gases.
• Gas Exposure Hazard Levels: for Toxic Gas Exposure to Ammonia, Arsine, Arsenic, Bromine, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Hydride, Ozone - allowable exposure levels and hazard levels
• Gas Testing methods of screening for various odors, gases, and chemicals in the indoor environment
  
  
• Mold Odors and Moldy or Musty Smells: Here are articles on diagnosing moldy or musty building odors
  • Mold Odors, Musty Smells in Buildings: this article summarizes the common sources and causes of moldy and musty odors in buildings.
  • Mold Odors - MVOCs: If we smell mold, is mold present and is that a problem? Most people have a pretty good idea of moldy or musty smell as associated with mold. If you smell mold or find it at important levels in screening samples of air, dust, or vacuumed surfaces, (by quantity or by particle type in samples) it is probably there. Testing and ASTM Test Standards for MVOCs are also cited below.
  • Mold Odors FAQs: Why do mold odors occur in our home following rain? Odors at exterior outlets sure sound as if there has been leakage into the wall and a probable mold colony. We need an expert visual inspection and possibly invasive sampling, combined with building history, to find and follow leak paths and high humidity cavities in order to inspect the most-likely mold reservoir targets in a building. The odors may be MVOC's which may be produced by some mold genera/species at varying levels as humidity, temperature, air pressure, and other variables change.
    
  • Mold Information Website: This website provides information and procedures for finding, testing, cleaning and preventing indoor mold, toxic black mold, green mold, testing building indoor air quality, and other sick house / sick building investigations. Here are research articles, inspection and testing procedures, and contact information for expert services.
• Odor Diagnosis Log Sheet: Use this Odor Log Spreadsheet or this Odor Log printer-friendly file to record your observations for further analysis. Also see ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
  
• Oxygen - O₂ hazards and toxicity levels
• Ozone Odors & Ozone "deodorizers": The Use of Ozone Generators Indoors for Control of Odors and Mold Removal in Buildings: A Summary of Hazards and False Claims.
  Ozone is widely promoted by ozone generating equipment companies and cleaning services for use in indoor building environments to deodorize, disinfect, "kill" mold, and for "general health".
  This article explains the effects of using ozone in buildings for these purposes and warns consumers about misapplication of and health risks from ozone in buildings. Because at least some of these claims are based on marketing desire, not good science, and because ozone exposure can be both dangerous and ineffective indoors, we have collected some information and references on this topic.
• Ozone generators: The Hazards of Ozone & Ozone Gas Generators. This article gives an overview of the hazards associated with use of ozone indoors as a "mold remedy" or as an "air purifier". Ozone is widely promoted by ozone generating equipment companies and cleaning services for use in indoor building environments to deodorize, disinfect, "kill" mold, and for "general health".
• Ozone Toxicity & Ozone Gas Exposure Hazards This article discusses Ozone Toxicity in Buildings - A Summary of Hazards of Indoor Ozone, Ozone Generators, and Use of Ozone for Mold Remediation. While there are some important uses of ozone (such as for medical disinfection under controlled conditions), in general this is an idea which ranges from bad to dangerous in the home. This article explains the effects of using ozone in buildings for these purposes and warns consumers about misapplication of and health risks from ozone in buildings. Because at least some of these claims are based on marketing desire, not good science, and because ozone exposure can be both dangerous and ineffective indoors, we have collected some information and references on this topic.
• Ozone Gas Hazards Description
• Paint Failures & Odors: How to Diagnose, Correct, & Prevent Paint Failure on Buildings. Paint odors: solvents and other chemicals in building paints or coatings are often a source of odor or paint smell complaints, even where low-VOC paints are in use.
• Pesticide Odors U.S. EPA advice on pesticides and possible pesticide contamination
• Pet Odors: from dogs, cats, or other pets, source identification, testing, removal, are discussed in detail at ANIMAL ODORS IN BUILDINGS, with special focus on cat odors and allergens beginning at Cat Dander: how to inspect and test a building for past or current presence of cats, cat hair, cat dander, and cat allergens" . Also see Pet Allergens.
• Plastic odors: Plastic Odors, including Siding Odors. This discussion also pertains to other vinyl or plastic materials used in buildings such as diagnosing odors from plastic trim, plastic or vinyl windows, window screens, doors, or similar materials. This article includes a plastic odor diagnosis checklist and it lists common sources of plastic-like smells in buildings.
• Sampling for gases in air such as VOC's, MVOC's, toxic chemicals, and combustion products.
  Unfortunately no single test or tool can detect all possible building contaminants. We use methods and equipment which can test for common contaminants.
  
  MVOC Testing Standard: As of 3 March 2009 the ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action released ASTM E2600-08 Standard Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions.
  
  Gas testing instruments, their applications, and their sensitivities (minimum detectable limits) for specific gases are described in our Gas Sampling Plan online document.
• Siding Odors: Vinyl Siding Failures, Diagnosis, Repair, Proper Installation: Siding, window, screen, & other "plastic" odors: We've investigated a number of reports of strange odors in residential buildings that were ultimately traced to vinyl or plastic which was outgassing. we have observed this phenomenon with vinyl siding, plastic or vinyl window or door screens, and plastic or vinyl windows. A key diagnostic step was the observation that the odors were strongest when the material under investigation was exposed to sunlight or other sources of heat. [This article is under development, September 2007, and we welcome content suggestions or questions].\
• SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors - a simple procedure using paper towels and aluminum foil can help track down a building odor to a specific surface indoors.

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Diagnosing Building Odors

BOAT & CAR SMELLS & ODORS
  Car Burning / Gas Smell Safety
  Car Odors - Animals
  Car Odors - Antifreeze
  Car Odors - Body Odor
  Car Odors - Cigarettes
  Car Odors - Climate Control
  Car Odors - Exhaust Gas
  Car Odors - Gasoline
  CAR SMELL - Mold DEODORIZING
    At Risk - Moldy Car Occupants
    Cost of Car Deodorizing
    Step by Step Car Odor Cleanup
    Identify the Smell
    Confirm Smell in Vehicle
    Track Stink to Source
    Finding Strongest Smell
    Remove Contaminated Materials
    Chemical Cleaners, Ozone for Cars
    Car Deodorize by Sunlight?
  Car Odors - Plastic
  Car Odors - Sweet Smells
  Car Odor Testing

OZONE HAZARDS
  Hazards of Indoor Ozone Gas
  Ozone to Kill Toxic Mold
  Ozone Air Purifiers
  Ozone Indoors - More Odor Problem
  Ozone to Get Rid of Odors in a Car

• ASTM E2600 - 08 Standard Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions is available from the ASTM at astm.org/Standards/E2600.htm .
  
  "This practice is intended for use on a voluntary basis by parties who wish to conduct a VIA on a parcel of real estate, or more specifically conduct a screening evaluation to determine whether or not there is potential for a VIC, and if so, identify alternatives for further investigation."
  
  The standard goes on to emphasize the uncertainty in testing any site for gases and vapor intrusion.
• "Shaky Seats, Leaky Fluids, Toyota" Scott Sturgis, The New York Times, 01/24/2010, Automobiles section, p. 4.
  
  
• Thanks to B.L., Poughkeepsie, NY, for discussion of the cause and cure of moldy car smells and permission to take and use photos of the family's moldy car during its mold deodorizing procedure, 2009.
• Thanks to reader R.L., for email discussion of testing for mold in automobiles - July 2010.
  
  
• Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers, is the nom-de-radio for NPR's Car Talk radio program hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi, who can also be contacted by telephone at 888-227-8255.
  An online discussion of the detection, cause, and cure of smells or mold in cars, reviewing this InspectAPedia article has been opened at Car Talk at http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/cartalk/posts/list/2136105.page
  
  
• "Volatile Organic Compounds in New Automobiles: Screening Assessment", Grabbs, James S., Corsi, Richard L., Torres, Vincent M., Journal of Environmental Engineering, Vol. 126, No. 10, October, 2000, at scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=
  JOEEDU000126000010000974000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes&ref=no 
  ASCE abstract
  Four new vehicles were tested to assess the nature (constituents and concentrations) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with new vehicle interiors. The total VOC (TVOC) concentration within the interior of one vehicle (minivan) was 7,500 µg/m³ on the first day of sampling (second day after purchase), approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the outdoor TVOC concentration. The TVOC concentration in the minivan was observed to decay significantly with time, with an approximate 90% reduction in concentration after three weeks of testing. The other three vehicles had TVOC concentrations that ranged from 300 to 600 µg/m³ on the first day of testing. Over sixty chemicals were identified inside the interiors of the four vehicles. Compounds identified in all four vehicles and their GC/MS area percent ranges were toluene (2.2–12.6%), ethylbenzene (0.5–2.2%), xylene (2.4–10.7%), and undecane (0.8–7.5%).
• Vinyl chloride in new car odors? - this is a third party website citation, not taken alone as authoritative: www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Vinyl-Chloride-9thROC.htm
• Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times, November 15, 2006 - ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com
  “A wide range of environmental groups contend that new car interiors contain a mix of unhealthy substances that come from vinyl, flame retardants on seats, lubricants and hidden sealants that collectively make up the new car smell.”

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• Adkins and Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion discusses Robigus, the Roman god of crop protection and the legendary progenitor of wheat rust fungus.
• Kansas State University, department of plant pathology, extension plant pathology web page on wheat rust fungus: see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Leaf%20Rust.asp
• "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
• US EPA - Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [ copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
• US EPA - Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol

Allergies, Allergens, Allergy Testing in Buildings - References & Products

• Air Conditioning System Blower Fans & Filters Cascading for Optimum Indoor Air Quality
• Allergen Tests in Buildings advice about how to test, what to look for, in evaluating the level of dog, cat, or other animal allergens in a building
• "IgG Food Allergy Testing by ELISA/EIA, What do they really tell us?" Sheryl B. Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, Clinical Laboratory Director, Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic - ELISA testing accuracy: Here is an example of Miller's critique of ELISA http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/282.cfm - Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
  The critique included in that article raises compelling questions about IgG testing assays, which prompts our interest in actually screening for the presence of high levels of particles that could carry allergens - dog dander or cat dander in the case at hand.
  http://www.tldp.com/issue/174/IgG%20Food%20Allergy.html contains similar criticism in another venue but interestingly by the same author, Sheryl Miller. Sheryl Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, is an Immunologist and Associate Professor of Basic and Medical Sciences at Bastyr University in Bothell, Washington. She is also the Laboratory Director of the Bastyr Natural Health Clinic Laboratory.
• Allergens: Testing for the level of exposure to animal allergens is discussed at http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/animalallergy/diagnosis.shtml (lab animal exposure study is interesting because it involves a higher exposure level in some cases
• Allergens: WebMD discusses allergy tests for humans at webmd.com/allergies/allergy-tests
• Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
• Atlas of Mold Related Illness Symptoms & Complaints - long list of both documented, studied mold related illness, and complaints ascribed to mold contamination or allergens in buildings
• Cat Dander: how to inspect and test a building for past or current presence of cats, cat hair, cat dander, and cat allergens
• Clinical Atlas of Mold Toxicity - An Online Description of Toxic, Pathogenic, Allergenic Fungi, Fungal Diseases
• Fiberglass Insulation Contains Mold© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation
• Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
• Mold Action Guide detailed guide on finding, removing, and preventing indoor mold contamination
• Odors, Odor Detection, Smells, & Gases how to find and identify sources of noxious or toxic odors and gases
• Other environmental risks, Our much longer list: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, etc.
• Ozone: The Use of Ozone Indoors for Control of Odors and Mold Removal in Buildings: A Summary of Hazards and False Claims.
• Pollen Allergens: identification, plant pollen and indoor air quality
• Products to Reduce Mold & Allergy Problems to reduce indoor mold or allergen levels: air cleaners, air purifiers, dust mite covers, vacuum cleaners, crawl space vents
• Recognizing Allergens: What various indoor allergens look like - identification photos to help identify pollen, dust mites, animal dander, toxic or allergenic mold - Common Mold and other Allergens, Irritants, Remedies & Advice
• Rodent control issues, including dander, fecal, and urine contamination of Buildings and Building insulation are discussed at our
• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in Buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
• Action Guide: What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
• ...

Mold Contamination Testing, Cleanup, Prevention: references & products

• The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems
• Aerobiology, Building Science, Microscopy, & Laboratory References, an extensive technical bibliography
• Allergens: what they look like in buildings
• Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
• Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd Ed., GS deHoog, J Guarro, J Gene, & MJ Figueras, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 2000, ISBN 90-70351-43-9 (you can buy this book at Amazon)
• Atlas of Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms and health, physical, neurological, psychological, and other complaint which people suspect may be mold or building-related.
• Atlas of Indoor Mold, Online Clinical Mold Atlas, Toxins, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
• Black Mold that is Harmless Photos of recognizable, usually harmless black mold on wood, bluestain, ceratocystis, ophistoma
• Building Floods: quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
• Classes of Mold: what types of cosmetic, allergenic, or toxic mold are a problem? Can mold be cleaned-up successfully?
• Clinical Mold References - Detailed bibliography of mold reference texts
• "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
• "Disease Prevention Program for Certain Vegetable Crops," David B. Langston, Jr., Extension Plant Pathologist - Vegetables, University of Georgia (PDF document) original source: www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/209797.html
• "Disease Prevention in Home Vegetable Gardens," Patricia Donald, Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology, Lewis Jett
  Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri Extension - extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6202
• "Management of Powdery Mildew, Leveillula taurica, in Greenhouse Peppers," Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia - Original source: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/peppermildew.htm
• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• Fiberglass: Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• Fifth Kingdom, Bryce Kendrick, ISBN13: 9781585100224, is available from the InspectAPedia online bookstore - we recommend the CD-ROM version of this book. This 3rd/edition is a compact but comprehensive encyclopedia of all things mycological. Every aspect of the fungi, from aflatoxin to zppspores, with an accessible blend of verve and wit. The 24 chapters are filled with up-to-date information of classification, yeast, lichens, spore dispersal, allergies, ecology, genetics, plant pathology, predatory fungi, biological control, mutualistic symbioses with animals and plants, fungi as food, food spoilage and mycotoxins.
• Fungi, Identifying Filamentous, A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, Guy St-Germain, Richard Summerbell, Star Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-89863-177-7 (English) (buy at Amazon)
• Looking for Mold Procedure: what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
• Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
• Mold Action Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions, What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE Photos of what mold looks like in buildings
• MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD Photos of NOT-mold material that is sometimes mistaken for mold
• MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
• MOLD BY MICROSCOPE Mold under the microscope - photo identification of the most common indoor molds found in buildings
• Mold FAQs Answers to Most Questions about Indoor Mold, Mold Related Illness, Mold Cleanup, Mold Prevention
• US EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [ copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
• Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab or to any mold lab you wish
• Most Common Indoor Molds Found in Buildings, A Table of
• Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6 (buy this book at Amazon)
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Rot concerns in buildings-some building mold such as Meruliporia incrassata "Poria" risks serious rot and hidden structural damage
• US EPA: Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol

OTHER IAQ ISSUES: How To Find and Address Other Indoor Air or Indoor Environment Contaminants Besides Mold

Mold or allergens may not be the only or even the main indoor environmental contaminant. Don't let media attention to mold cause so much enviro-scare fear that other, possibly more urgent hazards go un-addressed.

• Fiberglass building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
• Other environmental risks: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, environmental illness, fiberglass, MCS - multiple chemical sensitivity, toxic gases, etc
• Indoor Gas Sampling Plan for Residential Buildings lists a number of toxic indoor gases which we test for, depending on the building complaint and building conditions
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Pet control - if you can't say goodbye to your bird, cat, dog, guinea pig, hamster, tropical fish, then limit the areas they occupy and limit the airflow from that area to sleeping or other areas of the building, use allergenic bedding, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting, improve housecleaning including use of a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner. For more details see our article Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Information for Asthmatics and Indoor Air Quality
• Rodents, Mice, Squirrel Control - I find high levels of mouse and rodent dander, fecal dust, and urine-contaminated dust in some buildings, and high levels of these materials in building insulation in those locations. If you have a mouse problem, particularly if mice and their waste (fecals or urine) are contaminating the building HVAC or building insulation, may need both steps to clean up or remove infected materials and steps to stop an ongoing rodent problem. If squirrels are a problem, the cleanup needs to include closing off entry openings into the building. Get some help from a licensed pest control expert.