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Can Volvo Take Sneezes Out of Spring?
May 29 2008 by Sara Lacey
5/29/08
Clean Car a Haven for Allergy Sufferers
As great as springtime is, its less-enjoyable companion for many of us is allergies. May is Allergy Awareness Month, which, like Stress Awareness Month, strikes me as a bit unnecessary. Most of us are already quite aware of our allergies, thank you. We're so aware that we shop exclusively for Kleenex during these three months of the year, and have to stash extra trash bags in our cars and everywhere else. We're aware of all kinds of alleged solutions, except where we can get a bubble to live in.
Well, at least that's true for those of us without a Volvo. Volvo's S80 was the first-ever car to meet the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association's standards. Folks with a Volvo can surround themselves in an environment that eliminates allergens, using a cabin filtration system that prevents dust, particulates and pollen from entering the cabin through the ventilation system. Volvo also offers an interior air quality system that monitors the amount of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide that enters the car. According to Volvo, this happens in dense city driving, on switchbacks and in tunnels. (I wonder if this happens in the carpool lane, too.)
Volvo says it uses a "combined filter with an activated carbon element [that] protects the occupants from virtually all unpleasant odors caused, for example, by exhaust fumes, washer fluid and oil. The combined filter also reduces occupant exposure to gases such as nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone and hydrocarbons."
Lastly, Volvo interiors are Oeko-Tex 100 certified, which means all the interior materials (like the fabric, leather, wood — even the seat belts) are made using environmentally friendly materials and processes. For all of us allergy sufferers who have days where we really would like to live in a bubble, an S80 sure sounds like a nice option. Until you open the door, anyway. Ah-choo!
Nice job, thx!