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Be Sure Your Car Isn't Leaking Toxic Fluids

Are you keeping your car properly serviced? Oil, brake fluids and antifreeze commonly leak from older or poorly maintained vehicles. Rains wash these pollutants into streams, lakes and estuaries, where they cause potential harm to a whole host of aquatic organisms. But antifreeze poses a more immediate threat to wildlife (and humans).

Ethylene glycol, the main ingredient in conventional antifreeze, tastes and smells sweet, which makes it attractive to children, pets and wild animals. The chemical causes irreversible or lethal kidney damage. Just two ounces of coolant can kill a dog; one teaspoon can be lethal to a cat. Tens of thousands of pets and wild animals die each year from ingesting radiator fluid. A few companies have replaced ethylene glycol with less toxic propylene glycol. Purchase (or ask for) these safer alternatives, and promptly repair all leaks and clean up any spills. If you do your own vehicle maintenance, dispose of oil, brake fluids and antifreeze at a municipal hazardous material collection center.