Is your carpet making you sick?

ShareThis

For many years now, there's been a big concern over healthy interiors and with good reason. The air you breathe affects your health and indoor air has claim to most of the hours in your day. Many articles have been written about pollutants in paints, wallpaper, adhesives, flooring, air coming through the air-conditioning system, plastics that emit toxins -- and the list goes on. The causes for the pollutants are many but the most talked about seems to be volatile organic compounds.One product that draws attention in the polluting category is carpet. Many are concerned with pollutants that might be found in carpeting, particularly a brand-new carpet and the padding and adhesives used, but upon closer examination, this actually isn't always the case. "Carpet is a safe, cost-effective and fashionable choice for many indoor settings," says Alexander Peykar, a principal of Nourison, a leader in today's floor-covering market. Actually, according to the Carpet and Rug Institute, carpet is one of the lowest emitters of volatile organic compounds."Green" seems to be the latest buzzword in interior design and many manufacturers strive to attain "green" status. To achieve "green" status for carpets, adhesives and padding, the Carpet and Rug Institute offers an in-depth testing program, called Green Label/Green Label Plus, to identify healthier carpet and rug options.A Green Label indicates that a rug or carpet (plus, cushioning and adhesives) is emitting the lowest level of volatile organic compounds possible and indicates that a product is one of the industry's best for indoor air quality.So what's involved in the testing for Green Label Plus certifications? Carpet and adhesives undergo a three-tier testing process done initially, quarterly and annually in order to monitor continued compliance with the program's requirements. The products are tested for emission levels of volatile organic compounds and dozens of chemicals and adhesives, and only those that meet the most stringent test levels are awarded Green Label Plus certification.So, is your carpet making you sick? Check to see if it has been awarded the Green Label/Green Label Plus bill of health. If it is an old carpet, you will need to call the manufacturer. If you are purchasing a new carpet, the information should be on the label or the salesperson should be able to verify the 'greenness" for you.To learn more about Green Label Plus, visit www.carpet-rug.org.(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, a Naples, Fla., interior designer, is the author of an award winning book, "Mystery of Color" For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest(at)aol.com.)