Accumulation of metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) in a vehicle cabin

There is an undoubted relationship between the traffic congestions in a city and the CO2 in the cars (vehicles). In traffic congestions, the typical reaction of the drivers is to switch-on the recirculation mode of the vehicle’s air conditioning system. In the summertime, in many cities with high air humidity and temperatures, people typically drive their cars in recirculation mode as well, to ensure the best cooling. However, the recirculation mode of the air in the cabin prevents O2 from entering and leads to an increment of the CO2. In confined spaces (e.g., a vehicle cabin), the CO2 concentration rises fast due to human exhalation and metabolism. The high CO2 concentration is associated with increased health symptoms, decreased concentration, and impaired performance.

From:

Angelova, R. A., Markov, D. G., Simova, I., Velichkova, R., & Stankov, P. (2019, October). Accumulation of metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) in a vehicle cabin. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 664, No. 1, p. 012010). IOP Publishing.