This week I had the pleasure of riding on a brand new airplane. At least according to the gate agent who emphasized the benefit of “that new plane smell”. All I know is that it caused a wee bit of a headache, with no ice cream in sight.
“New plane smell” is one in a line of signature scents like “new car smell” and “new house smell“. That’s a pleasant way of saying fumes that haven’t yet gone away. Chemists call it a cocktail of volatile organic compounds. The leading ingredients are solvents from glue and freshly manufactured plastics.
If a brand new car is left closed on a hot day the concentration of this junk in the air can reach unhealthy levels, but as soon as you open the door enough air is exchanged to immediately become more bearable. Still, if you’re sensitive to it you may notice sore throats, headaches, runny eyes, etc. The new car smell generally lasts one to three months before all these fumes have dropped to unnoticeable levels
Last month I was in a brand new building here in Calgary that was promoting the lack of “new house smell”. During construction they specifically chose building materials that were made without solvents. The cumulative effect leads to much higher air quality, and happier, healthier people.
