For new carpets there are 'volatile organic compounds' VOC's. These include toluene, benzene, formaldehyde, ethyl benzene, styrene, acetone and a large amount of other chemicals, some of which have already made the EPA's list of Extremely Hazardous Substances. Known carcinogens such as p- Dichlorobenzene are in new carpets, as are chemicals that produce fetal abnormalities in test animals. These chemicals also cause hallucinations, nerve damage and respiratory illness in humans.
Other compounds in new carpeting that affect health are adhesives, stain protectors, mothproofing and flame retardants. The 'new carpet smell' comes from 4-PC, associated with eye, nose and upper respiratory problems that are suffered by many new carpet owners. 4-PC is used in the latex backing of 95% of US carpets. In 2000 the 3M Company removed the chemical perflouro-octanyl salphonate from from their product, Scotchgard, because it had been found to cause reproductive problems in rats.
Moth proofing chemicals contain naphthalene, which is known to produce toxic reactions, especially in newborns. Fire retardants often contain PBDE's which are known to cause damage to thyroid, immune system and brain development functions in humans.
Older carpets can be more of a hazard than new ones: Not only do they contain the chemicals banned from more recent production, they also have had years to accumulate pounds of dust mites, dirt, pesticides and other toxins brought in on shoes, feet and pet's paws.
Carpet can hold 8 times it's weight in toxin filled dirt. The EPA has stated that 80% of human exposure to pesticides happens indoors.
Chemicals settle in the rug and stay there for years. If the room has been painted the curing paint leaves its VOC's in the carpet for you to inhale long after the walls no longer smells of paint.
Older carpets are so toxic that your chances of being exposed to hazardous chemicals are 10-50 times higher in a carpeted room than outdoors. If the carpet is plush or shag, your risk increases substantially.
Laminate Wood Flooring
These contain a large amount of toxins also contained in products such as sealers, solvents and glues.
The basic components of leather coatings are binders, lacquers, colouring agents, solvents (organic substances, water) and additives (surface active substances, waxes, oils, cross-linking agents for water-based systems and other chemicals).
Various resin types can be used as binders e.g. acrylics, butadienes, polyurethanes and vinyl acetates. Solvent based resins are used for special effect coatings and to achieve particular requirements (for example, to preserve the appearance of leather which is subject to wet-rubbing and wet flexing or to increase the permeability of the leather). The most commonly used binders are water-based resins (purchased as powder or dissolved in sodium hydroxide and other chemicals).
Lacquers may consist of nitrocellulose dissolved in organic solvents or polyurethane in water-based systems. Colouring agents are organic and inorganic pigments, dissolved in the particular coating systems (water or solvent-based).
CONVENTIONAL SOLVENT-BASED COATINGS CONTAIN:
80 – 90 % VOC (volatile organic compound)
Conventional solvent-based systems contain between 80 – 90 % VOC while reduced organic solvent systems (e.g. water dilatable lacquer emulsions) contain ~40 % VOC.
WATER BASED COATINGS CONTAIN:
0 - 15 % VOC
Water based systems can contain 0 - 15 % organic solvents (e.g. ethyl acetate) but most commonly used water-based lacquers contain 5 – 8 % VOC.
The solvent emissions in a gallon of paint are up to ninety percent less compared to twenty-five years ago, However, most paints still contain harmful fumes if inhaled or absorbed. In fact, most of us are unaware of the effects that one coat of paint may have. Low levels of vapours from either formaldehyde, benzene, butane, propane, and fluorinated hydrocarbons found in can or spray paints are released on a daily basis for the first thirty days after application. But even year's later small amounts of toxic fumes can continue to leak into the air. Over a period, exposure to these fumes can be harmful to the brain.
Another danger is exposure to lead-based paint. Although most lead-based paints have been pulled from markets, over eighty percent of homes built before 1978 still have lead paint in them. Lead is a poisonous heavy metal. If lead-based paint is disturbed by sanding, scraping, or abrading, fumes and particles may be produced. These fumes and paint chips, if inhaled or ingested over time, can cause lead poisoning and change brain chemistry.
What happens to the brain with over-exposure to paint fumes is the destruction of brain cells and disruption in normal brain activity. When toxic paint fumes are inhaled (be aware that paint can soak into the skin and cause the same problems as inhaling the vapours), these toxins target fatty tissues such as the myelin sheath of the brain. Over time, this protective covering of the brain becomes removed, reducing brain cells and damaging axons. Presently, the process of demyelination is irreversible and decreases nervous system activity effecting neurological and behavioural functions. Abnormalities in brain areas are apparent such as, if there is damage to the cerebellum, involved movement can be affected, or if the cerebral cortex is damaged, cognitive dysfunctions can occur. Also, brain-imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can detect lesions or size reduction in areas of the brain including the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and brainstem.
Knowing the potential hazard of exposure to paint fumes, you'll want to take every precaution with your painting project, big or small. You should always use a respirator when painting and have proper ventilation. It is best to seal off the room or area you are painting to keep fumes from floating into other areas. Wearing thick chemical resistant gloves is a good way to prevent paint from getting on your hands and toxins absorbing into the skin. Also, you should wear full clothing to prevent further skin exposure, and change your clothes directly after painting.
Unlike garment fires, where the primary hazard is heat release, building fires can generate both heat and toxic gasses. Often the primary human hazard is smoke and toxic gases. When cellulosic materials, either textiles or wood products, are burned the only gases formed are CO, (carbon monoxide), CO2 (carbon dioxide) and H2O (water).
Although carbon dioxide can cause suffocation, the dangerous material is carbon monoxide, which poisons the bloodstream in much the same way as cyanide. The relative amounts of CO and CO2 produced in a fire depend primarily on the amount of oxygen present. Well ventilated fires produce mostly CO2. However, in well-developed building fires, there is almost always a shortage of oxygen and larger amounts of the much more toxic CO are produced.
Some synthetic fibres, such as polyester, also produce these three gases when burned. Other fibres, such as polyamides (nylon) or acrylics, contain nitrogen and are thus theoretically capable of producing other toxic gases during burning. While small-scale tests of nitrogen-containing textiles frequently show the evolution of toxic materials, such as HCN (hydrogen cyanide), these gases are probably not a major factor in real fire situations.
In February 2007, the Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) released its report on a PVC avoidance related materials credit for the LEED Green Building Rating system. The report concludes that "no single material shows up as the best across all the human health and environmental impact categories, nor as the worst" but that the "risk of dioxin emissions puts PVC consistently among the worst materials for human health impacts."
Among the most serious dangers that PVC poses to humans and the environment is when PVC is burned. The widespread use of PVC in modern homes - for vinyl flooring, vinyl wallpapers, shower curtains, window frames, and electrical equipment including cable and wire insulation etc means that house and building fires will probably involve PVC products. If this happens dangerous dioxin will be generated.
Even during small house fires considerable amounts of dioxin can form because PVC is present in interior furnishings and products such as floorings and wallpapers, and electrical equipment such as cables. The hydrochloric acid formed when PVC is burned, can lead to life threatening lung damage and causes serious corrosion to buildings.
TCDD, the most lethal form of the dioxin family, is a known human carcinogen and hormone disrupter and is recognised as the most toxic synthetic compound ever produced.
Many vinyl products contain additional chemicals to change the chemical consistency of the product. Some of these additional chemicals called additives can leach out of vinyl products.Plasticizers that must be added to make PVC flexible have been additives of particular concern.
Other vinyl products including shower curtains and flooring initially release chemical gases into the air. Some studies indicate that this out gassing of additives may contribute to health complications, and have resulted in a call for banning the use of DEHP on shower curtains, among other uses. The Japanese car companies Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have eliminated PVC in their car interiors starting in 2007.
New materials and for example regulatory fire retardant treatments often include chemical compounds which on their own or in small quantities may not present a health problem but which in combination or increased amounts may do so.
Air currents within a building may blend together molecules of chemical compounds and gases into a toxic cocktail which is then frequently inhaled. The effects of long term inhalation of the same or recycled air of contaminated quality are being researched and established by specialists. Links are being identified with chronic illnesses and the environment in which we live.
External air monitoring and quality by environmentalist engineers brought about an improvement in health by control over chemical and pollution emissions from industry. It is only recently that the micro climate inside a building has begun to receive attention.