Formaldehyde In Carpet Backing

Formaldehyde is more commonly found in composite wood products.

Formaldehyde in carpet backing.

Your home might still contain formaldehyde in some of the furniture pieces and laminate flooring in your home though. However there are hundreds of other volatile organic compounds vocs besides formaldehyde that your new carpet might be giving off. Furthermore the latex used in carpet manufacture is synthetic latex not natural latex. The glue is latex based for flexibility and adheres the face yarn to the backing.

Still to demonstrate carpet s contribution to healthy indoor environments cri analyzes finished carpet for formaldehyde as part of cri s green label gl and green label plus glp indoor air quality testing and certification programs. Only natural latex because it contains proteins has been reported to cause allergic responses. In the 1970s many homes were insulated with uffi as an energy conservation measure before it was discovered that uffi contained dangerously high levels of formaldehyde. Fortunately formaldehyde emissions in this product decline over time so older houses with uffi are unlikely to.

That new carpet smell comes from 4 pc associated with eye nose and upper respiratory problems. 4 pc is used in the latex backing of 95 of us carpets. The fibers and backing chemical treatments padding and glues all come with their own chemical consequences. Some types of carpeting use chemicals that have been associated with respiratory symptoms eye irritation and rashes as well as chemicals that can react with each other to produce formaldehyde a known human carcinogen.

Carpet has formaldehyde in it. Other compounds that affect your health are adhesives flame retardants and stain protectors.