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Avoid Exhaust Fumes When Biking to Work

MONDAY, 31 MAY 2010


Washington, DC - Biking to work can be invigorating and healthy, but for many it could be harmful.

A ride along a busy street means increased exposure to vehicle exhaust and its long list of pathogens including carbon monoxide, soot, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, benzene and formaldehyde. These pathogens can cause asthma, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Riders may want to choose a route with little car and truck traffic, notes a clean-air activist who created a fake exhaust pipe accessory to draw attention to the dangers of car exhaust.

The spoof “Monoxitube” campaign challenges every driver to “Face Your Exhaust.” The Monoxitube is a 25-foot tube that hypothetically attaches to the exhaust pipe of a car or truck, wraps around the vehicle and slides into the driver’s side window, sending the exhaust straight into the driver’s seat, instead of towards bicyclists.

Clean-air proponent Dave Doctor got the idea for the spoof one morning during his walk to work along busy roads. "I wanted to remind drivers about the toxicity of car exhaust. The Monoxitube idea makes that point in a vivid way," said Doctor. "No one would drive with the exhaust going into the car. So why is it acceptable to send carbon monoxide and soot out the back of the car and into the air where it will be inhaled by bicyclists and pedestrians?”

The product's website suggests more than 15 ways drivers can protect themselves and others from car exhaust. Ideas range from telecommuting or taking a bus to creating pedestrian malls free of car exhaust.

To help bicyclists, the site suggests purchasing vehicles designed with tailpipes on the left side, since bicyclists ride to the right. For example, most truck exhaust pipes point to the right.

If you're participating in Bike to Work Day, try a road less traveled to avoid vehicle exhaust. It might take more time, but your heart and lungs will thank you.

Visit www.monoxitube.com for more details.

Source: www.prlog.org

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