Carpets and vinyl are exposing people to potentially hazardous chemicals, according to a new report from the Healthy Flooring Network (HFN) and Greenpeace UK.
The report, Poison Underfoot, says a range of chemicals added to floorings as stabilisers, softeners or bug-killers, include two already banned by the EU in children’s toys.
HFN is calling on consumers to avoid vinyl flooring and fitted carpets and advocates the use of alternatives, including wood.
Greenpeace scientist Michelle Allsopp, the report’s author, said: ‘Given the hazardous nature of these compounds, the levels we found are clearly of concern.’
Samples of eight brands of carpet and five PVC vinyl available for UK retail were studied.
The report claims tributyltin, known to have caused sex changes in marine wildlife, was found in both carpets and vinyl.
Brominated flame-retardants found in three carpet samples are being phased out by governments because of their toxicity.
Henry Whiley, managing director of Lancashire-based wood flooring importers Havwoods Ltd, felt the report would lead to a tit-for-tat dispute between the carpet and timber floor industry. ‘It’s like when there was a campaign for timber frame houses. Immediately, the brick people came in against it,’ he said.
However, the chief executive of the The Carpet Foundation Mike Hardimen said he had no intention of criticising timber floors and acknowledged they were the fashion and beautiful in the right location.
He added: ‘This is just another example of the Healthy Flooring Network having a go at carpets. The companies they selected [for their sample] are not in any way representative of the UK carpet industry.’
The HFN favours anti-allergenic smooth flooring, including ceramic, linoleum and wood, provided the latter is from certified sustainable sources.
