Can New Carpet Be Toxic

Toxic emissions from carpets.

Can new carpet be toxic.

As a new carpet gradually releases or off gasses chemical residue the chemicals enter the air where we can smell them. While the new carpet smell might be preferable to the musty smell associated with old and dirty carpets this smell is produced by 4 phenyl cyclohexane 4 pc. The chemicals that are used in carpeting will release into the air through off gassing that will leave behind a strong odor that will be very noticeable in the environment. The smell of new carpet can not only be hazardous to the health of those exposed but it can also be very irritating to smell in your home.

The popular new carpet smell is familiar to anyone that has had new standard carpet installed. Within a few days to a few weeks these fumes dissipate and the carpet no longer smells. The post outlines my top picks in the zero and low voc categories for residential and commercial use. Even if no conclusive proof cites carpet chemicals as a singular cause of feline illnesses owners should know there could be harmful contents in that new stain resistant wall to.

Levels of 4 pc to 20 parts per billion ppb have been mea sured in new carpet. The smell can be stuck in memory for decades to come and the health effects may stick around as well. Journal of nutritional and environmental medicine 1995 5. Your new carpet contains several toxins from various repellants and chemicals from manufacturers.

Vocs emit toxic fumes you don t want to subject yourself too for too long. The vocs responsible for new carpet smell are 4 phenylcyclohexene 4 pch and to a lesser extent styrene. This includes a look at the carpet fiber backing products used during installation and padding underlay. You can smell 4 pc down to about 5 ppb.

New carpets can contain several known carcinogens including formaldehyde ethylbenzene acetone toluene and styrene. 3 steps to remove new carpet odor. Short of removing toxic carpeting and replacing it with a healthier alternative there is a way to significantly minimize the toxic off gassing of new carpet with minimal investment. This is the chemical that creates new car pet smell four days after installation levels fall to about 10 ppb and after about two months levels decrease to approximately 1 to 2 ppb.

Some of these toxins are called volatile organic compounds or vocs for short. These usually come from the. Consider installing solid surface flooring such as tile or solid hardwood flooring with area rugs instead of a fully carpeted floor. Such reports are worrisome because unlike plants whose toxic properties are better known or more easily researched carpets lack warning labels or ingredient lists.

4 phenyl cyclohexaneis a gas that is produced from chemical reactions between the styrene and.