Car recirculation settings help reduce air pollution

Smoke from wildfires in Canada has moved into the United States since May. The most recent fires near Quebec have been burning for at least several days, prompting a series of air quality alerts across much of the East Coast.

Many people are online looking for ways to protect themselves from smoke. On Twitter, two meteorologists claimed that using the car’s recirculation button, which is often recommended to maximize air conditioning efficiency, can help prevent outside air from entering the vehicle when there is smoke outside. But is it true?

THE QUESTION

Does your car’s recirculation button help reduce air pollution in your vehicle?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

Yes, the car’s recirculation button helps reduce air pollution in the vehicle.

WHAT WE FOUND

The car’s recirculation button helps reduce some of the air pollution entering the vehicle when the air quality outside is poor or smoky. The air recirculation setting on most vehicles usually appears as a button with a rotating arrow inside the shape of a car.

The recirculation button takes the air inside the car and recycles it inside the cabin instead of drawing fresh air from outside, according to auto experts at AutoDeal, Eden Tires & Servicing and Ken Brown Motors. They all recommend pressing the recirculation button to reduce the pollution of the air entering the vehicle.

“It’s not a foolproof way, but it will keep most contaminants out for a small period of time,” Rob Poinsett, Ewing Body Technician, Team Collision Center in Ewing, New Jersey, told VERIFY.

A 2013 study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology measured how much air pollution reaches people inside their vehicles. The researchers found that using the recirculation button can help reduce the driver’s level of exposure to outdoor air pollution to 20% of on-road levels, keeping around 80% of these pollutants at bay. outside

In addition to preventing some air pollution from entering the car, the recirculation button increases the air conditioning to help the cabin cool down as quickly as possible, reduces pollen entering the vehicle and can help prevent strong outside odors from entering. the car. It also helps keep the air filter cleaner for longer.

But health experts at the University of Rochester Medical Center say the best thing you can do to protect yourself when air quality is poor is to stay indoors if possible, avoid strenuous activities in the open air, wear an N95 mask or respirator outdoors and use an indoor. air purifier if possible. Visit AirNow.gov to check the air quality in your area.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.