Honda Motor Co., one of Japan's major car manufacturers, announced that after making some minor changes to the new models put on the market in October 2007, all of its automobiles sold in Japan now meet standards laid out in guidelines on in-vehicle volatile organic compounds (VOCs) set by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). This makes Honda Japan's first car manufacturer to have all of its four-wheeled automobiles, including those for commercial use, meet the VOC guideline standards.
VOCs have recently gained the spotlight as substances that have an effect on the human body, such as triggering the so-called "sick house syndrome." The MHLW set up guidelines on the indoor concentration of 13 VOCs, including formaldehyde, in January 2002. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) set voluntary targets in which all new-model passenger cars released in and after fiscal 2007 and all automobiles for commercial use released in and after fiscal 2008 must satisfy these guideline's standards. (See the URL below.)
Honda has successfully suppressed the volume formaldehyde, toluene and other VOCs released into the air by reviewing the materials and processing methods used to produce interior parts and adhesive agents. In addition, in order to improve the quality of the air inside cars and reduce irritating odors, Honda has adopted a high-performance deodorization filter that efficiently removes the smell of car exhaust and pollen.
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