How Long Can You Breathe the Air in a Car?

[AdelynFitz]

Roughly estimated, an 8-hour night would consume approximately 1 cubic meter of oxygen. However, it's important to note that even with tightly closed doors and windows, a car is not completely airtight, and the level of airtightness varies among different models. Therefore, theoretically, oxygen levels might become thin, but it wouldn't lead to a completely oxygen-deprived state. What's actually more dangerous is carbon monoxide. When the engine idles, incomplete combustion of gasoline produces large amounts of carbon monoxide. Coupled with closed doors and windows and the air conditioning in recirculation mode, carbon monoxide can rapidly accumulate, causing oxygen levels inside the car to drop sharply. This can quickly lead to symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning among passengers, such as dizziness and nausea, and in severe cases, loss of consciousness or even death by asphyxiation. Experiments have shown that when a car's windows are closed and the engine is idling, carbon monoxide accumulates at a rate far exceeding expectations. In just ten minutes, carbon monoxide levels can exceed the national safety threshold, and in about 26 minutes, it can reach lethal concentrations.