Toxic Rug Fumes
After twenty six years of exposure to fumes from carpet laying gluing and seaming gerald schmidt of grand forks north dakota was finally forced to quit when his symptoms reached disabling proportions.
Toxic rug fumes. Volatile organic compounds vocs are compounds that are emitted into the air as a gas that forms from solids and liquids in the environment. Toxic carpet symptoms carpets can emit vocs volatile organic compounds and the formaldehyde in carpet into the air that has been strongly correlated with poor indoor air quality. Toxic dyes glues and flame retardants are commonly used and very dangerous. Within a few days to a few weeks these fumes dissipate and the carpet no longer smells.
Most carpet cleaners use a toxic soup that leaves behind dangerous fumes and residue that can seriously affect the health of your family. The vocs responsible for new carpet smell are 4 phenylcyclohexene 4 pch and to a lesser extent styrene. A list of high quality rugs you can trust to be safe in your home and less destructive to the environment. The toxic characteristics of carpets.
Some of the commonly used products contain perchloroethylene a popular dry cleaning chemical known to cause nausea dizziness and fatigue. Traditional handmade persian rugs are a great non toxic choice. He started laying carpet as an apprentice in 1966 in minneapolis minnesota then went into business on his own in 1968. Avoid foam rubber synthetic latex or plastic.
These will contain toxic glue. In addition when chemicals mix they may produce other toxic fumes that could be harmful to health. Vintage or antique rugs are free of voc s. So here s a shortcut for when you don t have time to do all the digging.
As a new carpet gradually releases or off gasses chemical residue the chemicals enter the air where we can smell them. Preservatives such as formaldehyde and sodium benzoate. In addition to the primary materials rugs usually also include materials that are hidden from the eye but integral to the product such as synthetic rubber that may contain endocrine disrupting phthalates. These chemicals also cause hallucinations nerve damage and respiratory illness in humans.
It s a long list. This smell is often times associated with vocs like benzene toluene and 4 pc the main voc chemical that contributes to this new odor released from rugs and carpets. Toxic dyes and other chemicals used in the dying process give area rugs their good looks. Contain toluene benzene formaldehyde ethyl benzene styrene acetone and a host of other chemicals that are known carcinogens and produce fetal abnormalities in test animals.