Yifang Zhu in Time Magazine: How to Avoid Vehicle Pollution When You’re Stuck in Traffic

Most non-electric motor vehicles emit multiple airborne pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons, and ultrafine chemical particles. Breathing in these pollutants can cause or contribute to a wide range of health problems, from heart and lung disease to neurological, reproductive and immune system dysfunction.

Zhu says changing the cabin filter every six months to a year (depending on how much a person drives) should improve the air quality in that vehicle.