Home environment carpets

Because of volatilization and leaching from their application in consumer and personal care products, phthalate esters are ubiquitous contaminants in indoor environment, and the levels found in dust from homes in different countries (Table 2), showed that the less volatile phthalates such as DEHP and BBP, are the predominant in dust samples [11,16, 74], and that the percentage of both carpet and plastic materials (furniture, decoration, and home electronics) could be associated with higher concentrations of BBP and DEHP in house dust [12, 74, 75]. The proportion of DiNP in house dust from Germany in 2009 [12], indicates that the... 

Wolkoff, 1998 Haghighat and de Beilis, 1998). Table 15.7, for example, shows the effects of temperature and relative humidity on the emissions of particular compounds associated with carpet, PVC flooring, sealants, varnish, and wall paint (Wolkoff, 1998). Interestingly, exposure of these samples to N2 rather than air also increased the emissions in some cases. However, using increased temperatures to bake-out buildings and hence lower the concentrations of indoor VOCs does not appear to be particularly effective. For example, Bayer (1991) reports that the total VOC concentrations from particleboard are about the same after as before a 5-day bake-out at 88°C. Similarly, significant levels of HCHO have been observed in a mobile home even after 20 years of use in a hot ambient air environment (Pitts et al., 1989 see later). 

Nishioka, N.G., H.M. Burkholder, M.C. Brinkman, S.M. Gordon and R.G. Lewis (1996). Measuring transport of lawn-applied herbicide acids from turf to home Correlation of dislodgeable 2,4-D turf residues with carpet dust and carpet surface residues. Environ. Sci. Technol, 30, 3313-3320. 

Pesticides may be tracked into the indoor environment after a certain outdoor apphcation [18, 19] or through transport from the workplace to the home (para-occupational or take-home exposure). Collection of floor dust both prior to and after lawn-apphed 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), indicated that turf residues are transported indoors [20]. Carpet dust levels of 2,4-D and dicamba and carpet surface dislodgeable residue levels were highly correlated with turf dislodgeable residue levels [21]. 

Despite restrictions, large amounts of foam furniture, baby products, carpets, plastics, and insulation containing BERs are still sources of exposure in homes and buildings, and must be disposed of after their lifetimes, creating outdoor reservoirs (e.g., landfills, wastewater treatment plants, e-waste recycling facilities, or stockpiles of hazardous wastes) for the future dispersal of PBDEs to the environment (Shaw and Kannan 2009). 

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