Car Air Conditioner Driving Allergies

May 8, 1997

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In cases of what could be labeled 'sick car syndrome', fungi in automobile air conditioners are being blamed for causing allergies.

"There are fungi in the air-handling system of cars... similar to fungi that we find in the 'sick building syndrome' situation," explained Dr. Robert Simmons, manager of the Biological Imaging Facility at Georgia State University (GSU).

Simmons and his fellow researchers noticed one strange but consistent thread in the stories of patients who believed they had 'sick building syndrome'. "People were saying 'as soon as I walk in the doorway of my building, I'm having a problem,"' Simmons recounted. But he realized "it takes a little longer than that for the average person to have a response to something you're allergic to. So we started looking at cars, and we realized (that's where) they're being exposed."

Symptoms are similar to the respiratory responses evoked by other allergies. In some cases, car-based reactions triggered asthma-like symptoms, Simmons said.

It didn't take researchers long to discover the culprit: two types of microscopic fungi from the genera Cladosporium and Penicillium.

Experts say either of these fungi produce certain organic compounds which can trigger allergic reactions.

Researchers at GSU performed swab tests on 27 different car air condition (A/C) systems - five of which were imported from outside the U.S. Every A/C tested turned out to be positive for the presence of the potentially allergy-inducing fungi.

So, if many car air conditioners carry the fungi, why aren't all drivers getting sick? "Not everyone is going to respond to the allergens," Simmons explained. "There are a lot of people out there that are simply not allergic to these things."

Still, he says there may be an even more pervasive (and unavoidable) effect of fungi- infected car A/Cs.

"Some of these (fungi) are producing very pungent odors," Simmons explained. "If you're in a car that has these odor-producing fungi in its A/C, and that car is parked with its windows rolled up for a day or two, when you get in it and turn the A/C on, you're going to get a smell."

Ironically, Simmons, who presented his findings at this week's American Society for Microbiology meeting in Miami, speaks from recent firsthand experience. "I rented a car in Florida this week," he related. "When I started it up, it smelled like a wet dog. I had to trade it in."

Simmons believes a solution will be found to 'sick car syndrome'. "The automobile industry is aware of this," he said, "and they're making moves to improve the materials used to build the A/C systems, to help prevent this."