What is the hazy film that accumulates on the inside of windshields and are we breathing all of that stuff into our lungs? Is that bad?
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[Plasticizers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer) are a collection of chemicals that change the properties of plastics (and other things), generally to make them more flexible. They are used in the dash, vinyl fabrics, gaskets, wires, couplings, and more.
They naturally move out of the plastic over time, often in the form of a gas or vapor called “off-gassing” and accumulate on all surfaces of the car but, most annoyingly, on the windshield. If you’ve ever noticed something plastic getting gummy, brittle, or changing color over time, this is sometimes caused by plasticizer migration. Heat, light, and other environmental factors can increate the movement of these molecules directly (eg they “evaporate”/off-gas) or damage the plastic itself causing the plasticizers to sort of seep or collect like a very thin coat of oil.
Some plasticizers can interact with your hormone system so are considered toxic. I suspect that the level of most plasticizers in most cars is less toxic than lots of other things in life, including other things that off-gas (like cooking on over-heated teflon.) There are other plastic additives like BPA that can also migrate out of plastic and might also be among the things coating your windshield that have been found to be bad enough they are being removed from some consumer goods.
Broadly speaking, plastic is an amazing invention that has revolutionized the world but, the same properties that make it useful make it persist in the environment, transport small, maybe dangerous chemicals, and cause lots of long-term environmental problems. Despite this, practically speaking, the off-gassing in your car or any other “normal” plastic exposure is unlikely to be all that bad for you, as an individual.
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