Abstract |
New carpeting has been the source of a number of indoor air health and odor complaints. Investigations of a variety of carpet samples have shown that there is a diversity of organic emissions among carpet types; some of the compounds found have been listed in the NIOSH Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. The paper describes two complementary analytical methods for screening carpet samples: a 'headspace' method for volatile emissions and a Soxhlet extraction method using methylene chloride for the semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds. The analytical results from seven carpet types are presented with special emphasis on the compound 4-phenylcyclohexene, one of the causes of 'new carpet smell,' which has also been anectdotally linked to adverse short term health effects. Other compounds of possible interest that were found include dichlorobenzene, bis(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate, triethyl phosphate, epsilon-caprolactam, and methylene-bis(4-isocyanatobenzene). |