Although the popular floor covering isn t inherently dangerous people have reported health problems associated with it source.
Toxic carpet chemicals.
New carpets can contain several known human carcinogens including formaldehyde ethylbenzene acetone toluene and styrene.
These chemicals also cause hallucinations nerve damage and respiratory illness in humans.
Toxic adhesives which can be required for glue down installation or at the seams.
Indoor carpeting has recently come under greater scrutiny because of the volatile organic compounds vocs associated with new carpet installation.
Experts claim that in addition to causing flulike symptoms carpets treated with 4 phenylcyclohexene and other chemical compounds emit carcinogens such as formaldehyde xylene benzene and toluene.
Much of conventional new carpeting is made from problematic material especially the backings such as the styrene butadien rubber backing found on 95 of carpets which off gas both styrene a carcinogen and 4 pc a form of polycarbonate which have been linked to cancer.
One of the chemicals that caused the illness in the epa headquarters 4 phenylcyclohexene is the one responsible for the new carpet smell that some people enjoy when they move into a new house.