Car AC units can harm health - researchers
         ATLANTA (Reuters) - Foul-smelling bacteria and
         fungi lingering in automobile air conditioners
         could pose health problems for people with
         allergies or weakened immune systems,
         researchers said Tuesday.

         A study of air conditioner evaporators from 12
         cars found many types of fungi and bacteria,
         researchers said. Owners of the vehicles
         complained of unpleasant odors.

         All of the air conditioners, from six manufacturers
         and three countries, had been used for less than
         two years.

         Robert Simmons, a professor of biology at Georgia
         State University, said the growths could cause
         problems for people with weakened immune
         systems or who are allergic to the fungi. The
         research was presented at a conference of the
         American Society for Microbiology.

         "Any kind of immunosuppressed person is more
         susceptible to this kind of a problem," Simmons
         said. "The health issue here is primarily people
         having allergic responses to the fungi."

         Simmons said the health effects of continued
         exposure to the microbes are unclear. "Nobody
         knows at this point whether low concentrations of
         these things over time have any serious biological
         effects or not," he said.

         The bacteria and fungi survived a wide range of
         temperatures and were found in evaporators that
         had been stored in a dry area for two years, even
         though they had grown in the moist condensation
         on the air conditioning systems, the researcher
         said.

         "When it gets hot and dry, it just sits there and
         survives. When it gets cool and damp, it grows
         again," Simmons said.

         Microbes on air conditioning systems also can
         reduce system efficiency and cause corrosion, he
         said.